Laura Patsko (IATEFL 2026): teaching isn’t only about language; intelligibility means familiarity, not a neutral accent; pronunciation belongs in every lesson; solve for one, extend to many; caring has a cost.
The five
- Language teaching is not only about language.
- Accent myths: intelligibility is largely familiarity, not a “neutral” accent. Ask learners what they want to sound like.
- Pronunciation in every lesson: a “sound hunt” after reading; “odd one out” for stress.
- Inclusion: “solve for one, extend to many” (Kat Holmes, Mismatch). Offer choice: written or spoken feedback; a blank page, gapped text or multiple choice for dictation.
- Burnout: check in on colleagues (“are you ok?”).
Apply in my context (Claude)
- Point 2 aligns with Jenkins’s Lingua Franca Core and Levis’s intelligibility principle. For IELTS Pronunciation, band descriptors reward intelligibility and features, not accent. A useful myth-busting reel.
- The sound hunt fits Prepare reading texts with no extra prep.
Connections
- Matching CPD to the teacher - Teacher’s Choice Framework · Errors are often developmental, not L1 transfer (phonological transfer)