When print textbooks are outdated the moment they're published, what do you do? If you’re Renata Kucharska, you build an alternative that can keep pace with the fast-developing needs of learners who are training for the workplace. In this episode, Renata shares how she ventured into tech to build a custom, gamified vocabulary app for her teenage mechatronics and programming students. We talk about the reality of teaching niche vocational English, how a simple leaderboard got her teenagers voluntarily running their own tournaments outside of school hours, and why a 'less is more' approach to design is as crucial as the content itself.

Watch with closed captions here.

1. The vocational resource gap: Why traditional textbooks can't keep pace with fast-moving technical industries.
2. Accidental engagement: How adding points and a leaderboard got teenagers voluntarily studying outside of school hours.
3. The developer's golden rule: Why simple user experience and layout will always beat a complex system.
4. The classroom payoff: How instant digital feedback translated to an unexpected boost in student reading and speaking confidence.

Renata Kucharska is an experienced teacher of English with over 25 years in ELT. She is the founder of Idiom Be Heard English and E-Solutions for ELT, where she combines language teaching with practical EdTech solutions. Renata designs courses, creates exam-prep and vocational English learning applications, including vocational English for mechatronics students and programmers. She also creates websites, e-learning platforms, and automations for educators and online businesses, helping them build independent, professional online offers.

🔗 E-Solutions for ELT website

🔗 Connect with Renata on LinkedIn

🔗 Follow Renata on Instagram

👉 Contact Renata on LinkedIn or her website to get teacher-level access to check out the app's functions

☕ Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/tesolpop

⭐ Leave a review wherever you listen

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👉 Subscribe here: https://communicating-for-impact.myflodesk.com/the-producers-edit

Producer: Laura Wilkes

Editor: Haven Tsang

Special thanks to our guest, Renata Kucharska

Production by Communicating for Impact

01:13 - The vocational gap

02:05 - What inspired Renata to build an app

02:29 - How leaderboards sparked engagement

03:14 - The "Duolingo for Mechatronics" concept

05:35 - The surprise response

07:30 - Classroom impact

08:49 - The developer's golden rule

10:50 - How to connect with Renata to test the app

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From textbook dependency to a "Starter, Main Course, and Dessert" approach. Fiona Hunter, founder of Kids Club English shares how to confidently step away from set materials to create authentic, play-based language experiences for young learners. From managing the psychological hurdles of letting go of the coursebook to structuring lessons around picture books, Fiona explains how stepping back allows young learners to take true ownership of their language.

Watch with captions here.

TALKING POINTS

1. The textbook tension: engagement, syllabus pressure, and the progress gap

2. Why moving away from a coursebook requires us to rethink our teaching

3. The "Starter, Main Course, and Dessert" framework for structuring lessons

4. How giving young learners ownership over their activities sky-rockets motivation

ABOUT

Fiona Hunter is a teacher, teacher trainer and the founder of Kids Club English. Originally from Scotland and now based in the south of Spain, she has worked in ELT for over twenty years, teaching in Spain, the UK, Argentina and South Korea, including at the British Council. She holds a DELTA with Merit and specialises in teaching preschool and primary learners.

Now working independently, Fiona creates her own flexible, play-based courses built around stories, songs, games, crafts and drama - without relying on coursebooks. Through Kids Club English, she shares classroom-tested resources and runs an online Teacher Membership supporting freelance teachers and small language school owners who want to feel more confident, less overwhelmed and better equipped to build engaging, language-rich lessons for young learners.

RESOURCES & REFERENCES

🔗 Kids Club English Website: https://kidsclubenglish.com/

🔗 Download Fiona’s Quick Start Guide to Flexible Units (available in the teaching tips section)

🔗 Watch Fiona’s 4-part video series on teaching without coursebooks on her website

🔗 Kids Club English @kidsclubenglish582

Fab Videos on Kids Club English YouTube:

1. Getting Personal with Puppets - Teaching Tips
2. How to Prepare for Reading a Story -Teaching Tips
3. Sports Spinner Game Craft

SUPPORT US

☕ Buy us a coffee https://ko-fi.com/tesolpop

⭐ Leave a review wherever you listen

THE PRODUCER'S EDIT

Get inspired to record more. Weekly stories, insights, and content tips for standout educators delivered to your inbox.

👉 Subscribe here: https://communicating-for-impact.myflodesk.com/the-producers-edit

CREDITS

Producer: Laura Wilkes

Editor: Haven Tsang

Special thanks to our guest, Fiona Hunter

Production by Communicating for Impact @laurawilkes

TIME STAMPS

00:00 - Introduction to Fiona Hunter and the episode overview

01:12 - The three biggest engagement and pressure challenges of coursebooks

04:36 - The mindset shift: Rethinking your underlying teaching philosophy

06:39 - Moving from "off-piste" projects to a semi-structured storybook approach

11:08 - The "Starter, Main Course, and Dessert" lesson staging framework

11:36 - Fostering learner identity and confidence through classroom roleplay

12:00 - Where to find bite-sized teaching resources and closing thoughts

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From outgrowing textbooks to collaborating across continents. Christian Fischer, Head of English at Gymnasium Schillerschule Hannover, shares how the Global Literature Circle project is transforming how teenagers engage with reading. From digital collaboration using Padlet to fostering student agency, Christian explains how giving learners creative freedom and a global audience can turn reading into a powerful, social experience.

Watch with closed captions.

• The challenge of students who outperform traditional textbooks
• Why 'resilience' is the missing key in modern teenage reading habits
• How Global Literature Circles connect classrooms worldwide
• Using 'freeze frames' and digital tools for meaningful communication
• Why letting 'good players play' is the secret to engagement

ABOUT

Christian Fischer teaches English and History at Gymnasium Schillerschule Hannover in Germany, which also offers the IB Diploma program. He is the head of the department of English and faces a growing number of students whose English proficiency has outgrown standard ESL textbooks. He is, to quote him, baffled that so many English teachers around the world teach English to students who could, technically, in their respective classrooms go back to speaking their Native language when teachers around the world could connect students to work in English only. That is the main idea behind his project “Global Literature Circle”, in which he connects students from around the world to work on literature through collaborative, creative, and engaging tasks.

RESOURCES & REFERENCES

🔗 Substack @christianfischer1

🔗 Contact Christian for more details about the Global Literature Circle: globalliteraturecircle@gmail.com

Backman, F. (2016) My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry. Atria Books

Ganda, M., Alifirenka, C., and Welch, L. (2016) I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Nazario, S. (2014) Enrique's Journey. Random House

Noah, T. (2016) Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood. Random House Publishing Group

SUPPORT US

☕ Buy us a coffee or leave a review wherever you listen

CREDITS

Producer: Laura Wilkes

Editor: Haven Tsang

Special thanks to our guest, Christian Fischer

Production by Communicating for Impact

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.