In this post, Bethan Stokes summarises her webinar, in which she addressed the issue of how we become materials writers. She shared with us her insights into the process, reflecting on her own journey, and suggested ways for others to get started. She finished her talk with tips for practitioners to write materials that are fun and interesting, touching on current and controversial topics.
Many teachers or ELT professionals have wondered, ‘How do I become a materials writer’? After ten years teaching and making my own materials, this is a question that has bugged me for a long time so I decided to try and find out. I set myself a one-year project to see how to enter the ‘elusive’ world of ELT materials writing. I have outlined my findings and summarised my webinar below. First of all, I encourage everyone thinking about becoming a materials writer to consider the following points:
Motivation
- • What got you where you are today? Think about your professional (teaching) career path. By considering and reflecting on this, it’s often easier to establish why you would like to get into materials writing and which routes to explore first.
- • Have you always made your own materials and now want to make this your main activity?
- • Is there a lack of materials for your context? If there is, how could you fill the gap? Which publishers and writers are already working in similar fields/contexts?
- • Have you got a novel idea that you think is worth sharing?
Focus
- • Make a detailed list of all the things you want to do in relation to materials writing.
- • Write down why you want to do them.
- • Give yourself a timeframe, e.g. one year, six months, in which to do these things.
- • Be realistic. If this is starting off as a ‘side hustle’, how much time and energy can you realistically devote to it?
- • Try not to lose sight of why you would like to write materials.
Network
- • Create/update your LinkedIn profile – there’s a whole world of budding ELTers on there.
- • Join the conversations on LinkedIn. This can be scary at first, but it’s a very friendly, welcoming community.
- • Warning: avoid LinkedIn rabbit holes (i.e. try to avoid clicking on and reading post after post while worrying that you should be doing something similar..
- • Be yourself: everyone has their own style, and that comes across in your work. You want people to see that.
- • Attend events, e.g. IATEFL and the MaWSIG PCE.
- • Mingle at events. Go and speak to people, give them a business card, make your face known. It can be a scary thing to do but if you never try, you’ll never know.
Niche
- • To niche or not to niche? That is the question. There are some who say you HAVE to, a few who say you don’t and many who don’t say anything about it.
- • If you know your niche, go for it. Focus on writing material for it.
- • If you think you have a niche but are unsure, find out more about it. What materials are already being written for it?
- • If you don’t want to niche or haven’t found one (yet), that’s OK. Explore the world of ELT materials and find out what sort of writing suits you best.
Learn
- • Find a course specialised in materials writing that interests you. I did John Hughes’ and Kath Bilsborough’s ‘Writing ELT Materials’ course, which is excellent. I can’t recommend it enough: https://writingeltmaterials.com/ Other courses I’ve got my eye on are Lottie Galpin’s ‘Introduction to Inclusive ELT Materials’ https://www.lottiegalpin.com/courses/ and Peter Fullager’s workshops on LGBQTIA+ in ELT for writers and editors. https://www.peterjfullagar.co.uk/for-writers-editors.
- • Make time to regularly read, listen to and watch content that you’re interested in. It’s one thing saving a video or blogpost about materials writing, it’s quite another sitting down and actually reading or watching it and learning from it.
- • Invest in some books on the topic. One of my favourites is ETpedia Materials Writing. The ELT Teacher2Writer series is also great and MaWSIG members get 10% off all ELT T2W ebooks on Smashwords. Just email mawsig@iatefl.org with your membership number to request the discount code. ‘The No-nonsense Guide to Writing Materials’, published by ELT Writers Connected, is also a must-read for anyone entering or already in the field.
- • Make time to intentionally ensure you apply what you learn to the materials you create.
Once you’ve thought about these basics, focus more on the actual writing.
Take some time to think about the materials you already write or what you would like to write. It seems simple, but thinking about the following six questions can help guide your writing and help you know where to look for work:
Once you’ve thought more about your materials, one other factor to consider is writing teacher’s notes. Many established writers have told me that they started out writing or reviewing teacher’s notes, so this is something to bear in mind. Some teachers and materials writers love them, some ignore them, some hate them. However, I have found out that writing teacher’s notes can help you write better materials.
Here’s how:
- • The process of envisaging the activities helps shape your own materials and makes sure they flow nicely.
- • Teacher’s notes offer support for teachers who need them and provide experienced teachers with new or different ideas.
- • They help you find your writing ‘voice’.
- • Personally, I think teacher’s notes should also be used as an opportunity for some quick CPD for teachers. That’s why all my teacher’s notes include a little reflection section for teachers to quickly consider after using the materials. You can see examples of this in the teacher’s notes on my website: https://www.efllessons.com/
No one can really think about the creativity involved in writing good materials and not consider the impact artificial intelligence is having and will continue to have on the field. I briefly discussed this issue during the webinar, and these are my thoughts:
- • AI is here to stay; embrace it as a writer and as a teacher. It’s OK to get help if you need some inspiration.
- • Research and try out different tools, e.g. Twee.
- • Check out Nik Peachey’s blog and LinkedIn for everything AI and ELT related.
- • Catch up on the recent ElliCon2023: Humanity & Technology in ELT: Striking a Balance in the Age of AI: https://ellii.com/conference/2023.
So, you’ve reflected on your motivation for becoming a materials writer, you’ve thought about your focus, you’ve considered how to network, you’ve potentially researched some courses or books to buy, you’ve thought about what you write or would like to write and you’re probably thinking ‘What now?’ I would advise the following:
Share your ideas
- • Write for magazines e.g. IATEFL Voices, local teaching association magazines/blogs, modern English teacher (mEt).
- • Post your ideas and materials on social media and encourage people to interact with them by posing questions or asking for feedback.
- • Share your materials with colleagues (if possible) and ask them for feedback on your work.
- • Create a website on which to share your materials. I created ‘EFL lessons’ in order to:
- – show people my work
- – hold myself accountable (I’m forced to write and apply what I’m learning.)
- – have some fun (if you can call making a website on your own fun?! 😁
Where to start
• Join ‘ELT Publishing Professionals’. As a member, you have access to CPD workshops, job opportunities and discounts for various ELT-related things, e.g. the Availlain author course: https://www.publishingprofessionals.co.uk/
• Get on the ‘OtterELT’ database: https://www.otterelt.com/
• Enter the One Stop English ‘Lesson Share’ competition: https://www.onestopenglish.com/professional-development/lesson-share
How to start
- • Go back to the start of this article and answer the questions (if you haven’t done so already).
- • Give it a try. Whatever happens, you will learn a lot, make new connections and know if the world of materials writing is for you.
I’m now seven months into my ‘one-year project’ and have learnt more than I ever imagined. One of the biggest things I’ve learnt as someone starting out in the field today is that you have to put in the hours and the work by networking (face to face and online), doing courses, actually writing and sharing your materials so that you and your work gets ‘seen’. If you put the time and effort in, you will get somewhere and get some leads. The big question is: Have I had any writing jobs since starting? The answer is: yes. More importantly, perhaps, I’ve been in touch with lots of publishers and got myself on their books. I haven’t taken on, or been actively looking for, more work because my priorities have had to change. Full-time teaching job + toddler at home + second pregnancy + wanting a cup of tea in peace from time to time = little room for materials writing. If you are just starting out and life gets in the way, that’s OK. The important (and often hardest) thing is to start somewhere. In the future, I would love to work as a materials writer and take a bit of a step back from teaching (but never stop completely). By going through this process, I feel much better equipped for when that time comes and have made invaluable contacts who I know will support me.
I wish you all the best in your materials writing endeavours, and hope you enjoy your journey into the world of ELT materials writing. Please feel free to get in touch and connect:
Bethan Stokes has been teaching EFL for over ten years. She has taught in a variety of contexts in Spain and Germany and currently teaches at the University of the German Armed Forces in Munich. Alongside teaching, she has always had a passion for materials writing and writes a lot of her own materials for her students. She also has a regular column for a local English teacher’s association (MELTA), has given workshops on practical classroom activities, and has recently started her own website: https://www.efllessons.com/.