30 September 2017, Skopje, Macedonia
Although many teachers in Macedonia write their own materials to use with their students, they have little or no formal training in materials writing. That is why ELTAM, the English Language Teachers’ Association of the Republic of Macedonia, is teaming up with MaWSIG to bring experienced materials writers to Skopje for a one-day conference. This event will give participants the opportunity to learn more about materials writing and to find out what it takes to write and publish their own ELT materials. The event is to be held at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Faculty of Philology Blaze Koneski, Department of English Language and Literature, Skopje and is supported by the Faculty of Philology Blaze Koneski, Department of English Language and Literature, Skopje. You can find out more about ELTAM here and details of conference including a speaker proposal form here.
24-25 November 2017, Ways into Materials Writing
Part of the IATEFL Online Conference
MaWSIG Panel Discussion (specific date/time t.b.a)
There is no single route into writing for publication, but our expert panel will share tips that can help you along the way – and many of them are helpful for developing materials for your own classroom, too. Join us to hear our panel of writers, editors and publishers share their answers to frequently asked questions about writing ELT materials. You’ll learn what makes for good materials in terms of content and design, what the latest trends are in ELT materials, what publishers look for in potential authors – and, of course, what MaWSIG can do for you as teachers and writers.
9-11 March 2018, Madrid, TESOL Spain
MaWSIG has a special strand running all day on March 10th at this event at Universidad Complutense de Madrid’s Faculty of Education. More information about the convention and registration can be found on TESOL-Spain’s website.
We invite proposals for talks (60 mins) or workshops (90 mins) about creating or developing materials which integrate cultural elements into language learning and teaching, for inclusion in our special strand at this event. You do not need to be a member of MaWSIG to submit a proposal. Please use TESOL-Spain’s online form to submit your proposal before 15th October 2017. To be considered for inclusion in our MaWSIG strand, you must:
- a) tick ‘Materials Development’ as the main category of your session, and
- b) include [MaWSIG] at the end of your session’s title.
All presenters will have the convention registration fee waived. If you have any questions about MaWSIG’s strand at this event or any problems submitting your proposal, please feel to contact our Joint Events Coordinator, Clare Maas (claremmaas@gmail.com).
9 April 2018, IATEFL Brighton Pre-Conference Event
This year the theme of the Pre-Conference Event in Brighton is ‘Writing For The World’.
A shift is happening in ELT: the sector is developing a clearer understanding of who our students are, where they are, and what they need. No longer is the focus purely on a limited range of learners and settings. This PCE will examine the implications this has for materials writers. To what extent do ELT materials reflect the global use of the language?
Do our materials sufficiently exploit the skills brought by teachers who share a first language with their students? How can materials meet the specific needs of learners and do we consider what these might be enough? How can we prepare truly global materials for the world we live in?
Whether you are a publisher, published writer, editor or focus on writing materials for your own classes, the MAWSIG 2018 PCE will be a day of learning, sharing, and networking with a wide range of people from the ELT materials writing community. Hear experts in their field giving insights into new challenges and new ways of thinking about materials development.
For more details about the event and the conference, visit this page.
