Get-together 2020: Inclusive ELT materials: principles for design, selection and use

This session was recorded as part of the IATEFL 1 day 'Global Get Together' held April 2020.

Moderator: David Valente
Panel: Alex Popovski, MaWSIG Coordinator, Anne Margaret Smith, IPSENSIG Coordinator, David Valente, YLTSIG Coordinator, Rob Hill, LITSIG Coordinator, Linda Ruas, GISIG representative

Five IATEFL SIGs will collaboratively explore key principles for designing, selecting and using ELT materials to champion diversity and inclusion. The speakers will briefly share one principle each framed according to their particular SIG’s focus. Following the speakers’ contributions, we will open the discussion to participants’ questions. Our aim is to demonstrate that inclusion is the responsibility of all ELT special interests and by collaborating around materials, we can help make this a global reality for educators and their learners.

Aleksandra Popovski has an MA in Professional Development in Language Education from the University of Chichester, UK. She is a translator, teacher trainer and invited speaker at international conferences. Her professional memberships include TESOL, USA and IATEFL, UK. She is the current president of ELTAM (English Language Teachers' Association of the Republic of North Macedonia) and the Coordinator for the IATEFL Materials Writing SIG.

Dr Anne Margaret Smith has taught English for 30 years and is also a dyslexia specialist tutor and assessor. She founded ELT well to bring together best practice from the two fields of ELT and SpLD support, and offers materials and training to teachers, as well as specialist teaching to dyslexic learners.

David Valente is Coordinator of the IATEFL YLTSIG. He works as a PhD Research Fellow in English Language and Literature Subject Pedagogy at Nord University, Norway, where he teaches on the Masters in Primary Education. He is also Reviews Editor for the Children's Literature in English Language Education (CLELE) Journal.

Robert Hill is a graduate in English literature from Oxford University and Robert taught in Spain, Greece and England before moving to Italy. He taught English at the universities of Verona and Milan and is now an author and teacher-trainer. He regularly speaks at conferences worldwide and is Coordinator of the IATEFL Literature SIG.

Linda Ruas has been teaching and training teachers for many years, in Brazil, Japan and now back home in London. Recently she’s worked on short teaching and training projects in São Tomé and Príncipe and in the refugee camp in Calais. She now teaches ESOL and CELTA at Greenwich Community College, London, and, in her spare time, runs the Easier English wiki New Internationalist.