The commonly used categorical system for conditionals (zero, first, second, and third) has been repeatedly demonstrated to be inadequate because it is unable to account for many conditional types attested in actual usage. ELT coursebooks and pedagogic grammars are criticized for ignoring the evidence and persisting with its use, but the reality…

This study explored how secondary school EFL teachers engaged in professional learning opportunities when they participated in the development of ELT materials. While increasing research has examined language teaching materials and teacher learning, the two research fields have remained largely disconnected, hindering the potential of materials…

While there are a variety of reasons for implementing English medium instruction (EMI) at higher-education institutions (HEIs) worldwide, this decision is often made without consideration of its potential impact on student learning. Federal HEIs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are no exception. With English language admission standards at…

The unprecedented rise of English to become a global lingua franca has sparked a growing academic interest with numerous research publications on global Englishes, English as a lingua franca, and English as an international language. Although this research has led to numerous informative findings concerning pronunciation, pragmatics, and…

This paper explores the applications of pattern grammar and local grammar in English language teaching, focusing specifically on the design of teaching materials. It shows that grammar patterns can be systematically analysed from a local grammar perspective, and further argues that the practice of local grammar analyses helps to raise language…

This article examines the findings of a longitudinal study of the learning and use of English at an English-medium university in Hong Kong. The aim of the investigation was to track the learning experiences of a group of 28 undergraduates and to identify the challenges they faced when studying for their degrees in a second language. This article…

Intriguingly, at a time when the ELT market is inundated with state-of-the-art coursebooks teaching modern-day English, a 30-year-old series enjoys continuing popularity in some secondary schools in Hungary. Why would teachers, several of whom are school-based teacher-mentors in the vanguard of the profession, purposefully choose materials which…

Describes an information gap procedure to teach a new structure which requires students to look for and exchange information in order to complete a task in an English as a second language class. Illustrates the method with a set of materials and suggests ways for teachers to produce similar materials. (SED)

Discusses the reasons that are often given against teacher-generated English-as-a-Foreign-Language materials and presents arguments in favor of DIY (Do It Yourself) materials design. (23 references) (GLR)

Discusses materials used for teaching of English-as-a-Second-Language study skills. It is suggested that for ESL study skills materials to be effective, their development should have as a starting point the development of the learners' underlying study competence. (six references) (JL)

Examines position, nature, and scope of language awareness work in English language teacher education courses. By means of a sequence of language awareness activities, an attempt is made to identify the essential features of such activities for teachers and trainee teachers to provide an interim framework for materials writing, and illustrating…

Explores aspects of writing materials for publication, with emphasis on combating sexism in English-as-a-Foreign-Language materials. Problems and solutions are analyzed in the areas of language content and culture that pose problems for editors, making special note of possible conflicts between ideology and pedagogy. (Author/VWL)

Discusses some of the reasons why idioms are difficult for second language learners to learn, including the fact that most materials for teaching idioms are inadequate. Criteria are suggested for choosing idioms to teach; 10 activities are described which will help students understand and produce idiomatic English. (Author/SED)

The psychological and linguistic foundations of the cloze procedure are outlined, and standard approaches and terms used are reviewed. Notes are given on cloze in testing, in relation to language structure, and as a teaching device, focusing on the manipulation of the technique for a variety of purposes and situations. (MSE)

Describes how plays can be improvised and written by English-as-a-Second-Language students, and how the end-products can be modified in a variety of ways to create new teaching material. (six references) (GLR)