Geoff felt guilty about using ChatGPT to create his first drafts. It was the start of the project and he should be full of his own ideas. ‘I can fall back on AI tools once the publisher has stifled my… Read More ›
General
Crusader of ELT Materials Writing: Part 3
Geoff was about halfway to the Tower of Hidden Commitments when he came across the commissioning editor again. He was tending to a vegetable patch in an allotment opposite his detached house in suburbia. ‘Hello there, Geoff! How are your… Read More ›
Crusader of ELT Materials Writing: Part 2
Geoff walked through the woods in search of the Tentacles of Target Markets. ‘This is a lot of effort’, Geoff muttered to himself, ‘an updated brief from the publisher would have sufficed.’ Then he remembered the first rule of brief… Read More ›
Crusader of ELT Materials Writing: Part 1
‘Right,’ exclaimed Geoff, ‘it’s time for another project with the Big Four’. He gave his kids a big hug – he was unlikely to spend quality time with them for a while. He apologized in advance to his wife for… Read More ›
Materials writing conversations #15: The Amusement Arcade
We’re off to the amusement arcade for publishers! Yes, it’s for amusement only…
Materials writing conversations #14: The Packager’s Price Is Right!
Completely imaginary. Host: Okay, let’s see who our next contestant is… Announcer: PETE, COME ON DOWN! Pete: OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG! *runs down from the studio audience* Host: Give him a big hand! Pete, you joined us with… Read More ›
WalkThrus parent workshop – Tom Sherrington
I attended a parent workshop this morning by Tom Sherrington, co-author of the WalkThrus series. Sherrington is working with Bangkok Patana School to help embed an instructional coaching programme in the primary school. The workshop was good timing for me,… Read More ›
Materials writing conversations #13: Brief creep
This is 100% made up.
Review: Teaching WalkThrus
Teaching WalkThrus: Five-step Guides to Instructional Coaching is a glossy collection of 50 strategies for enhancing teaching and learning. It’s from John Catt Publications, authored by Tom Sherrington and Oliver Caviglioli (see here and here for my previous reviews of… Read More ›
In brief: Changing Perspectives on LGBT Representation in ELT Textbooks
Author: Ben Goldstein Date: 2021 Goldstein begins with a quote from Scott Thornbury, who draws attention to LGBT invisibility in published language resources: Where are the coursebook gays and lesbians? They are nowhere to be found. They are still firmly… Read More ›