Message from the Coordinator (January 2018)
Dear MW SIG Members,
Where has the semester gone? It seems like just yesterday was the first day of the class. For those of you who will some “free time”, Oxford University Press is holding an extension activity contest (See the details below in the Items of Interest). This is just a short message to keep you informed of the activities of your SIG. If you have information that you would be of interest to the membership, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Presentation opportunities
MW SIG Forum at JALT PanSIG 2018
Missed the deadline to submit a proposal? Still looking for a way to present? We are planning a forum with a tentative title of “Innovations in Materials”. If you are interested in participating, please contact me ASAP.
Items of Interest
1. The Headway Scholarship 2018
Looking for an outlet to showcase your ability to create extension activities? Oxford University Press is currently running a contest. The prize includes:
- A place on the two-week English Language Teachers’ Summer Seminar at Exeter College, Oxford (Sunday 22nd July – Friday 3rd August 2018)
- Your extension activity will be displayed on the Headway Oxford Teacher’s Club website for teachers worldwide to download and use
- Flights and travel to and from Oxford, accommodation and all meals
- A certificate from Oxford University on completion of the course
For more details, see https://elt.oup.com/feature/global/headway_fourth_edition/headway_scholarship_competition
The contest ends on February 12th, 2018.
2. JALT2018 Scholarship
Looking to present at JALT2018 but lack funding? JALT is offering 3 conference fee waivers. For details on eligibility, please go to
https://jalt.org/conference/jalt2018/scholarship-jalt2018
Until next time,
Adam Murray
SIG Coordinator
Message from the Coordinator (December 2017)
Dear MW-SIG Members,
It’s hard to believe that is now December and the end of the year is quickly approaching. This is just a short message to let you know what is happening in the world of materials.
Contents of this message:
- Presentation opportunities
- MW SIG Member publication list on materials creation
- Links/Articles of interest
Best,
Adam Murray
SIG Coordinator
Presentation opportunities
JALT PanSIG 2018
The upcoming conference will be held in Tokyo at Toyo Gakuen University on May 19-20, 2018. Proposals must be submitted by January 15, 2018. Notifications of final acceptance of proposals will be sent via email between mid-February and early March 2018. http://pansig.org/cfp
MATSDA / Shanghai International Studies University Conference 2018
L2 Teacher Development Through Materials Development
June 9-10, 2018
Shanghai International Studies University (SISU
Plenary Speakers
Rod Ellis, Alan Maley, Hitomi Masuhara, Dingfang Shu, Brian Tomlinson, Qiufang Wen
Paper Submission
We welcome language teachers, researchers, and educators at all levels around the world to submit proposals of original research or position papers focusing on:
Professional development from:
- materials development courses or projects
- localisation of materials
- institutional materials development
- teacher evaluation of materials
- teacher adaptation of materials
- the teaching of materials
- using a teacher's book designed to enhance professional development
To submit a proposal of about 200-250 words for a forty minute oral presentation or for a poster presentation please contact: Brian Tomlinson at <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>. For further information about Booking, Accommodation Enquiries and Payment, please visit the conference page on the SCRELE website (http://screle.shisu.edu.cn). For other conference-related inquiries, contact Lyra Si at <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>.
Member Publication List on Materials Creation
As announced earlier in the year, Greg Goodmacher started a database for SIG members to highlight their writing accomplishments. You can view the spreadsheet here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XbtpJcgaSDuBGih33aF4dqqnZed8rntFAUCGvCTijCw To add your materials to the database, complete this Google Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1vnCBmoI_0yORzFbkfXJsxce_58-fFzeiwK6rpLpSD40/
This is a great chance to promote your work and to learn what your colleagues are doing.
Links/Articles of Interest
A short November 2017 blog posting by Penny Ur about the need for materials writers to not forget about the research literature.
https://mawsig.iatefl.org/and-what-about-the-research/
Ur’s posting is a reply to series of blog postings by Katherine Bilsborough.
https://mawsig.iatefl.org/elt-materials-writing-more-on-emerging-principles/
https://mawsig.iatefl.org/emerging-principles-for-elt-materials-writers/
A video of lecture given by Brian Tomlinson on Materials Evaluation and Adaptation in May at Shanghai Center for Research in English Language Education
