Page 14 - ELG1709 Agu-Sep Issue 450

NEWS
NEWS
New Chinese-backed ELT Teacher’s pet

publisher aims to innovate

Politicians in British Columbia,
Canada, get three cheers this
month for taking a refreshingly long-sighted
approach to adult education.
Canadian papers have reported that
fees for adult basic education and English
language courses will be scrapped.
Delivering on an election promise, the
new government is axing fees on high-school
level courses for adults and English as a
second language programmes.
Premier John Horgan said that the
government has enough money in the budget
Cai Jianfeng, FLTRP president to fund the move and that further details
will be released in September. This comes
By Melanie Butler designed to make the most of new after a move to reinstate tuition fees on such
A new ELT publishing house, technology, Peacock said Innova courses in 2015 led to a 35 per cent fall in
Innova Press, has been launched in Press was in ‘a uniquely powerful enrolments.
Beijing. position to establish itself as a major Who knew
The new UK-based publisher international player.’ funding was
is backed by a consortium made As well as ELT, the new publisher
up of China’s largest language will specialize in materials for such an
teaching publisher, FLTRP, its teaching Chinese language and important
largest language school chain, New culture for English-speaking thing?
Oriental, and edtech giant Hujiang. markets as well as teacher training.
Claiming that ‘mainstream ELT As UK-based publishers lose
publishers are stuck in the past’, global market share and US
Innova president Richard Peacock publishers withdraw from the
told the assembled press corps at market, it is hoped a Chinese- Naughty corner
the launch: ‘We need a new ELT backed publisher will achieve the
publisher for a new ELT world.’ goal of ‘becoming a leading and
Promising evidence-based truly innovative international
material, with innovative content publisher’.
Sure, we all
Shakespeare and Sherlock know the British tend
to be rubbish at foreign
languages. But a new
among ERF winners survey has shown many
don’t even feel bad about
By Claudia Civinini appearance in the ‘adolescents it. The study by the British
Adaptations of Shakespeare and and adults - beginners category’, Council in collaboration
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are among with Sherlock Holmes: The Dying with Populus revealed that
the winners of the Extensive Detective adapted by Lesley over 45 per cent of British holidaymakers rely
Reading Foundation awards, which Thompson. on the assumption ‘that everyone will speak
have been announced in Tokyo. Another story about bullying and English in the country that they’re visiting’.
A jury of teachers and students friendship takes up the winning And only 36 per cent reported feeling
were asked to vote for their spot in the elementary category
favourites and comment on them with Egghead by Michael Lacey guilty about it. Some try to make themselves
before the judges made their final Freeman. understood with such creative ways as
decisions. Six overall winners were Nicola Prentis steps onto the speaking English with a foreign accent (15 per
announced in August, one for each podium in the intermediate cent), but the majority resort to pointing at
category. category with the dystopian tale things (56 per cent).
The category ‘very young Rain, Rain, Go Away! A worrying 15 per cent of respondents
learners’ was scooped by The Bully, The upper intermediate and confessed to eating fast food – or even British
by Herbert Puchta and Gunter advanced category was won by an
Gerngross, described as a ‘highly adaptation of Shakespeare’s The food – while on holiday in order to avoid
relatable’ story about a class bully. Merchant of Venice by Clare West. communicating with the locals.
The ‘young learners’ award went The jury praised the powerful Thankfully, major incidents – such as
to the comic-style book School narrative, the relevant themes the tourist who was trapped for a night in a
Adventures 3, by Jason Wilburn and and the illustrations, which French town hall (Hotel de Ville) which she
Casey Kim. are a valuable aid to support mistook for a hotel – are fairly rare.
Sherlock Holmes made an understanding ‘at every turn’.
editorial@elgazette.com 13

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