Page 11 - ELG2109 Sep Issue 477

Awards

And the

And the

winner is…
winner is… PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BRITISH COUNCIL

The British Council’s ELTons recognise those
creating innovations in the field of language
teaching. We take a look at those who’ve made
it to the 2021 shortlist

eading the list of finalists for this to engage students, and Sensations English, resources for Volunteers, English Language
year’s ELTons, ELT’s very own using news-based footage. There’s also Digital Learners and Conversation Club in the UK
Oscars, three main trends emerge: Learning Associates’ Vloggers Academy, produced by the Learning and Work Institute
Rdigitalisation, inclusion and cross- which features professional YouTubers from with Learning Unlimited and much welcomed
border collaboration. With entries from Jamaica to Hong Kong. by volunteers.
over 20 countries, it’s clear these sectors The range of tools used is wide: audio “I am so glad the resources have been
are global. downloads and workbooks for young learners converted for online use,” one conversation
In the Digital Innovation category, the in CUP’s Fun Skills; Virtual Reality with organiser is quoted as saying, “it’s exactly
entry from the Centre for Inclusive English Immerse Virtual Language Learning what we all need.”
Language Learning (CIELL) is CIELL- Experience from the US and the AI behind Several volunteer projects have made the
Comics for Inclusive English Language the personal feedback on IELTS essays list of finalists. Former winner The Hands
Learning, the result of a collaboration delivered by Australia’s Literatu Scribo. Up project is back in Facebook Live Team
between a UK university, a Greek college Teaching for the Palestinian English
of art and design, a German institute for Curriculum and there is even a Mosaik
innovation and a university language centre Diversity Dogme Toolkit for teachers of refugees,
in Cyprus. Their digitalised offer is “designed produced with Scott Thornbury.
to support students with (and without) and inclusion is a Cultural inclusion is not left out. From
dyslexia”, according to its creators, by Belarus comes Converse Across the
offering “an inclusive, gamified approach” theme across all Universe: Managing Cross-Cultural
to essay planning. Communication by Yelena Golovatch,
Apps abound in the shortlist. The Oxford categories Margarita Kochan and Yauheni Radzetski,
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary is now on an From China we have Talk about China.
app; primary kids using Pearson’s new English Diversity and inclusion is a theme across Produced by OUP China with Jingban
Code get their practice materials on theirs; all categories. For example, Perceptia Press Beijing Education, this listening and
Peachey Publications has an app for teachers is on the Course Innovation shortlist for speaking course blends Chinese culture with
and there’s a homework one for students from Helping Matters, a programme for Japanese a world perspective.
LearnCube. social workers needing English to deal with Linguistic inclusion is an important
Apps are not the only platforms. BOOKR the country’s foreign residents. Meanwhile, concern in a profession where the student’s
Class, from Hungary, has a whole library both under Student Resources, we find an English mother tongue and the other languages
on an app and in an online classroom version. course for Paralympic power lifters produced they happen to speak have been banned
Also online is a literacy tool, Fiction in Germany. from the classroom. All students’ languages,
Express from Boolino SL, based in Spain The shortlist for Teacher’s Resources including art and social media, is the
and the UK, which involves learners in the covers a wealth of inclusive materials dominant theme in Our Languages, a course
writing of the site’s own stories. For those with Communicating Identities from for Brazilian teenagers from StandFor with
still hankering for a printed book, there is the Routledge, Teacher Wellbeing from FTD Educação. Another digital language
wonderfully named Escape the classroom OUP and two CUP titles: Teaching in underlies Pearson’s Code English, which has
from one of two finalists from Perceptia Press Challenging Circumstances and Engaging a STEAM syllabus.
UK and Japan. Language Learners in Contemporary International collaboration is behind
Digital offerings come in many formats. Classrooms. And lest we exclude very young Oxford Discover English, produced by
For online learners there is the online learners, they’re the subject of Teaching OUP teams in the UK, Egypt, Mexico,
English Pronunciation Course, tailored English to Pre-Primary Children from Turkey, Spain and the Middle East. But our
to fit the student’s native language, from DELTA Publishing. vote for global collaboration goes to the
Luke Nicholsons’ Improve Your English In the Local Innovation shortlist, inclusion Finnish not-for-profit which launched Link
Accent website. predominates with a Booklet of basic Online Learners, “a diverse and inclusive
On video, we have Days Crossing, a drama grammar in American Sign Language global network”, with learners and educators
series from New Zealand company Chasing and pictures for deaf and hard of hearing in 13 countries, including Australia, Nigeria,
Time English, that uses humour and surprises learners in Oman; and guidance and North Macedonia and Vietnam.
editorial@elgazette.com 11