ONLINE: Live Zoom event
Brought to you by the Materials Writers SIG. Interview conducted by MW-SIG Program Chair, John Carle.
When: November 6th, 2021, 8 PM to 9 PM
Abstract: In this interview with Fiona Wall Minami, we’ll talk about the British Council ELTons awards and how materials writers can apply, become a finalist, and hopefully win. Fiona is currently one of the finalists for her textbook, Escape the Classroom. The winners are planned to be announced on November 15, 2021.
“The British Council ELTons Awards for innovation in English language teaching and learning celebrate the newest and most original courses, books, publications, apps, platforms, projects, and more, which find new ways to meet the real-life needs of English language learners and teachers around the world.”
We’ll also talk about Fiona’s entry for the ELTons awards, Escape the Classroom, an incredibly imaginative and innovative textbook for learners of English. Please join us for an in-depth look at this very creative and engaging textbook.
Bio: Fiona Wall Minami is originally from the UK and arrived in Japan in the mid 1990s with a degree in Modern Languages from Durham University. She is based in Kumamoto where she has run her language school 'Britz' for over twenty years. She also teaches part-time at Kumamoto University. Fiona began her writing career as co-author of three Asahi Press textbooks 'A Taste of English: Food and Fiction', 'A Flavor of English: Cinema and Cuisine' and 'Aspects of Love in Fiction'. Her first solo textbook 'In the Driver's Seat' was published by Perceptia Press in 2016 and her second, 'Escape the Classroom' (2020) is a 2021 British Council ELTons finalist for Innovation in Learner Resources.
Escape the Classroom is an English communication textbook aimed at university students as well as advanced high school students and adult learners. Using the theme of escape rooms, every unit of the book is actually a 'mission' and students have to cooperate with their teammates to solve puzzles, break codes and make their escape. This occasionally involves cutting up pages of the book while negotiating with aliens, rescuing a trapped prince, solving crimes and shopping for a demanding chemistry professor.
Perceptia Press: Escape the Classroom
This JALT event will be FREE for anyone to join over Zoom.
