So, You Want to Write A Coursebook? Here’s Some Advice From The Best #ELTChat Santiago, Chile Have you ever looked at a coursebook, and shook your head? I can write better than this. This coursebook has none of this and there are none of that, and by the way… :-) It’s OK to admit it. For me, the bad ones only made it more likely that the good ones would be noticed, and have the market success it deserved. The only time I truly honestly was motivated to write, about “Debating in Chile”, I wanted every teacher in Chile to have a copy of it. So, what’s my point? Advice? Well, not from me. Here’s an excerpt of advice, not from Scott, but from Jeremy Harmer, who recently posted his words of wisdom on Scott’s excellent blog (Scott is often quite generous with access to his knowledge, skills, and wisdom on his blog, I read everything he writes). Jeremy Harmer response : (Quote begins) “Well the one thing that seems to be missing a bit here is a bit of good old passion! But for the writer? That’s how many EFL writers start and started! And as for editors and editing?
Why do many language courses not work? by Carl Taylor Needles in haystacks The internet has transformed the way we learn, including the way we learn languages. More and more people are searching the internet to find language courses and they are trying to study with these courses online from online colleges. The advantages are clear: you can study when you want, where you want and you can work at your pace. However, language learners face two major hurdles: How do you find a good online language course? Finding the right language course is like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. Key into a search engine phrases such as "learn Spanish online" and you will see thousands of links. Who wrote the course? Designed for the internet or books on screen? And 'designed for the internet' does not mean lots of links, animations, bells and whistles and things to click on. The opposite is true for many authors who write language textbooks professionally. There is also the question of level. Learning is a skill, like any other.
C is for Coursebook writing I recently got the following email: I’m writing to ask if you could steer me in the right direction towards writing an ELT student’s book. … I have eight years’ teaching experience and the Cambridge DELTA. I’m presently coming to the end of my master’s degree … I will very much appreciate any suggestions you are able to provide. As you can imagine, I was amused on two counts. Firstly, isn’t the writer aware of my less than coursebook-friendly reputation? And, more to the point, isn’t it a little naive to think you can just break in to this highly competitive field without so much as a by-your-leave? Gathering dust (good title for a coursebook?) However, the request got me thinking. So: it’s 1991. One thing led to another: I wrote the two other workbooks for the series, and then was approached by another publisher with a view to my ‘finishing’ a coursebook series that the existing writer was too busy to complete. Nevertheless, I think there are some pointers to be gleaned from this account: