The British Council is calling English language teaching professionals around the world to enter the ELTons 2015, it has been announced.
The annual awards, run by the British Council and sponsored by Cambridge English Language Assessment and Macmillan Education, are now in their thirteenth year and celebrate innovation and excellence in English language teaching (ELT) worldwide.
ELT professionals can apply in five categories: Excellence in Course Innovation, Innovation in Learner Resources, Innovation in Teacher Resources, Digital Innovation, and Local Innovation, as well as The Macmillan Education Award for New Talent in Writing.
Last year the submission criteria for the Macmillan Education Award for New Talent in Writing was broadened in recognition of the rich variety of resources available to teachers. Submissions are now welcome from aspiring ELT authors who may have chosen to self-publish or make their voices heard through different media such as blogs, eBooks or within their own institutions.
The award is open to proposals big and small, from original lesson plans, blogs, research or articles to ideas for fully-fledged products.
The British Council Lifetime Achievement Award, now in its fifth year, awards an ELT professional who has made a substantial contribution to the ELT profession throughout their career. Last year’s winner was Michael Swan, writer of English language teaching and reference materials whose major publications include Practical English Usage and Basic English Usage.
Anna Searle, Director of English Language at the British Council, said: “English language teaching remains in high demand throughout the world and the UK is a leader in responding to the demand, through direct and online support and delivery and through the high quality of publications to support English language learning and teaching.
“The ELTons recognises innovations in English Language Learning and is an excellent opportunity to profile the UK’s position as leaders in English language teaching and publications. These awards are a great way to support and showcase the creativity in the sector, and to help to bring new ideas to the wider ELT community. The award ceremony proves to be a fantastic event, where ELT authors, publishers, and practitioners from around the world can find out more about new innovations and celebrate the new ideas that will shape English language teaching in the years to come.”
The British Council is the UK’s cultural relations organisation, and builds relationships for the UK through English, education and the arts. It teaches English in more than 80 countries through face-to-face contact and innovative methods including radio, the internet and mobile technology.
Any ELT professional can apply for consideration for one of the categories including authors, teachers, trainers and publishers. Application packs can be downloaded from http://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/eltons and the deadline for submissions is 14 November 2014.
Applications will be judged by a panel of ELT experts and the winners are announced at a prestigious ELTons awards ceremony, held in London in June 2015.