Page 33 - ELG1807 July Issue 459

REVIEWS & RESOURCES

Pride and

Pronunciation

The glitzy annual ELTons awards saw an
often-neglected aspect of language
teaching enjoying the limelight

Tessa Woodward

here is always a moment, amidst Bell-funded project among the finalists.
the glitz and glamour of the ELTons Family Skills, a 30-hour family literacy
awards, where even the most programme for EAL, was also shortlisted in a language teaching, took centre stage with
Tcynical observers feel proud of our field that included an EAP course for Syrian an award for BBC Learning English, which
profession. academics and two courses from Brazil. won the learner resources prize for Tim’s
After all, the annual British Council And for the tech heads among us, the Pronunciation Workshop.
celebration of innovation in English language highlight may have been the award for This popular online video series, which
teaching is designed to showcase the very digital innovation for Learn Languages focuses on features of connected speech, is
best of the industry from around the world. filmed, its star Tim Gibson revealed, in his
For many in the audience, the magic Richard Wong producer’s shed.
moment may have come when the lifetime exemplified everything the Another winner from the world of pron
achievement award was announced and was Matthew Hancock’s Pron Pack, which
Tessa Woodward, author, teacher trainer and ELTons should stand for: took the teacher resources award from
tireless champion of Tefl women, walked under the noses of a galaxy of star names:
elegantly onto the stage. For others, it may perseverance, vision and Nik Peachey, Scott Thornbury and Hugh
have been the belated recognition of the international Deller, not to mention a number of major
work done for EAL learners in schools classes publishers.
across Britain that pulled the heart strings. co-operation But perhaps the moment to remember
The team behind the EAL Assessment was the acceptance speech by Dr Richard
Framework took the award for local Wong from the Hong Kong University of
innovation partnership jointly with with Ruby Rei from Wibbu, a company on a Education, who scooped the award for
Cambridge Assessment. mission to develop language acquisition tools course innovation for Get Set, Go! Phonics
The project was commissioned and funded that will ‘redirect the future of education’. published by OUP (China).
by the Bell Foundation. It seems to have pulled this trick off with a He spoke of his childhood in a poor part
The Framework, developed by a top team video game that incorporates good language of Hong Kong without access to native-
of academics from King’s College London teaching. speakers of English and his dream for his
and Cambridge University, was not the only Pronunciation, long the Cinderella of phonics course, which he developed with
academics in Israel and Canada.
For many observers, Richard Wong
exemplified everything the ELTons should
stand for: perseverance, vision and
international co-operation.
He proved, if proof were needed, that
English belongs not to the native-speakers
but to the world.

Matt Hancock and his
team who produced Pron Pack

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