If you’re considering taking a step further and becoming a materials writer after a few years of teaching, this article can be helpful. As an ELT materials writer, you’ll be responsible for creating teaching materials that help learners acquire English language skills. But what skills and attributes do you need to succeed in this role?
Needless to say, first, you’ll need to have exceptional English language skills. A superior command of grammar, vocabulary, and usage. After all, your materials need to be accurate and reflective of the language skills learners need to acquire.
Language skills aren’t enough on their own. You’ll also need to have some teaching experience as an ESL teacher. That means having an understanding of language acquisition, classroom management, methodology and curriculum design. The more you know about how learners acquire new language and what teaching methods are effective, the better equipped you’ll be to create materials that meet their needs. A degree in English language teaching, linguistics, or a related field is also essential, along with teaching experience.
Experience in creating ELT materials is important, too. When we are teaching, we’re also creating materials. I’m sure every teacher at least writes their own supporting materials for their learners. So, you’ll already have some experience in writing lesson plans, activities, worksheets, and even assessments. As you make use of them in your own teaching, you’ll develop a better sense of what works and what doesn’t, and you’ll be able to create more effective and engaging materials in return.
Creativity is key too! To really engage learners, you’ll need to come up with innovative and creative ideas that make language acquisition fun and engaging. It’s all about creating materials that learners enjoy using and that help them acquire language skills in an interesting and engaging way.
Attention to detail is also important. As an ELT materials writer, you’ll need to have a keen eye for detail to ensure that your materials are accurate, error-free, and appropriate for the target audience. So, keep an eye out for typos and errors, consistency issues, and make sure that your materials are appropriate for the level and age of your target audience.
Strong research skills are another key ingredient. You’ll need to do research to ensure that your materials are up-to-date and relevant to current teaching methodologies. This could involve following trends, reading articles and newsletters, attending conferences, webinars, or consulting with experts in the field.
And finally, you’ll need to be able to work independently, managing your own time and meeting deadlines, which are crucial! Familiarity with publishing tools can also be helpful.
What’s next?
- keep up with teaching trends and methodology
- attend conferences / talks
- sign up for publishers’ websites
- share knowledge and best practice with colleagues or the wider ELT community (e.g. Share a lesson on onestopenglish)
- join networking groups on LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.
And create your own ELT blog! Showcase your materials. You can start by sharing your photocopiable classroom activities, worksheets, lesson plans, presentations, etc.
Becoming an ELT materials writer is an exciting and rewarding career path. Once you have the skills and experience, you’ll make a significant contribution to the field by creating effective and engaging learning materials. Let your creativity and language skills shine!
Source: https://ihworld.com/ih-journal/ih-journal-blog/how-to-become-an-elt-materials-writer/
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