John Hughes
Kath Bilsborough and John Hughes are well-known ELT authors with over 60 years' experience between them. They have written and published numerous titles and online courses across a range of contexts. They have also trained teachers from all over the world and now run an online training company at www.writingeltmaterials.com with courses in how to develop your skills as a materials writer.
Plenary
Are ELT materials writers born or made?
Abstract
As teachers, we receive training in so many areas but never in how to write materials. Does this mean that we assume it’s an innate skill that teachers are born with? And if teachers are not born with those skills, do we leave them to learn through ‘trial and error’? In fact, we believe that teachers can be (and should be) trained to write effective materials. In this plenary, we look at the typical challenges teachers face when writing materials for the first time. Then, we'll consider what skills need to be developed in order to make the materials effective. And finally, drawing on our own experience of running courses in materials writing for teachers, we'll share what training techniques work well for us and provide plenty of practical tips for teachers who like writing their own materials.