Events

To celebrate the start of 2026, MaWSIG would like to invite you for an hour of online networking. It’s a chance to get to know your colleagues and get ready for a new year of writing great materials.

Much of our work as ELT writers involves developing tasks that prepare learners for specific exam formats, often with strict requirements around level, timing and structure. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the materials we create have to be bland, generic or easily forgettable. In this session, I’ll explore how we can design listening and speaking exam preparation tasks that not only meet assessment goals but also leave a more lasting impression on the learner. Drawing on recent examples from work on a C1-level high-stakes exam preparation materials, I’ll look at some specific ways to frame prompts, scripts and interactions so that they invite engagement, reflection, or a more personal response, without compromising the demands of the exam. The focus will be on practical and adaptable techniques that help make exam prep materials clearer, more memorable, and more human.

The rise of ebooks and print-on-demand paperbacks has made self-publishing possible for individual authors. Find out how to assess your work and ideas for self-publishing viability, and then learn what is involved in bringing a book to fruition. We’ll cover different ways self-publishers create covers, handle art and audio, arrange for editing and proofreading, and address marketing and sales. I’ll include best practices and commonly accepted conventions for 2025-2026.

How can we write materials that truly support teachers working in underserved contexts? In this webinar, I will share insights from mentoring primary school teachers in Ladakh, India, where pupils learn English as a second language but have little exposure to it beyond the classroom. Many teachers had limited methodological training, so the success of lessons depended heavily on the adaptability and clarity of the materials provided. Drawing on this experience, I will explore practical strategies for materials writers to make their work more accessible and impactful across diverse contexts. We will look at ways to: - Embed cultural relevance while ensuring global intelligibility. - Design flexible tasks for large and mixed-ability classes. - Build in teacher support without overloading the page. Participants will leave with practical takeaways for creating context-responsive materials that empower both teachers and learners.

Designing language learning tasks is not just about creativity; it also means following certain principles that are rarely addressed in teacher training courses. Since many of these principles only become clear through feedback from others, I’ll share some of the editorial feedback I’ve received over the years to show how to recognize and avoid common task-design pitfalls. With examples from different proficiency levels, I’ll demonstrate how small tweaks in wording, sequencing, or layout can make a big difference in learning outcomes. Participants will take on the role of editor as we look at flawed samples (including some generated by AI!), try to spot the problems, and discuss possible fixes. They will leave the session with a checklist of red flags and some practical self-editing strategies they can use when creating their own materials.

This webinar explores how teachers can design CLIL materials that are both pedagogically sound and culturally relevant, helping learners connect subject content with their own identity and experiences. Drawing on examples from primary-level English and Science lessons in Kazakhstan, we will examine how integrating local culture into worksheets and activities enhances comprehension, engagement, and willingness to communicate in English. The session will highlight practical principles for creating culturally responsive CLIL worksheets, including selecting meaningful contexts, embedding inquiry-based tasks, and balancing global skills with local traditions. Participants will be guided through a step-by-step process of adapting and writing their own materials, ensuring that worksheets do more than practice language—they foster deeper learning, critical thinking, and cultural pride. By the end, attendees will leave with concrete strategies and inspiring examples to enrich their materials writing practice with a strong, local voice.