Materials Writer: English Language Teaching Development

About the project

In 2017-18, the Andhra Pradesh Higher Education English Communications Skills project in partnership with Andhra Pradesh government and Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) aimed to empower 86,134 learners in English and employability skills across 198 higher education institutions in the state. This initiative simultaneously promoted teacher development and built institutional capacity; we trained 112 Master trainers who cascaded their learning to 1,833 teachers with a strong focus on continuing professional development.

In its second year, the project aims to reach another 100,000 learners across private and government institutions over two years (2018-2020) and further upskill Master Trainers and teachers to build institutional capacity.

The key objectives of the project are: 

• to upgrade the skills of up to 75 teacher educators or Senior Master Trainers (SMTs) from the current cohort of Master Trainers (MTs) and train them to be mentors and project champions in the state.
• select and train a cadre of 125 new MTs who will form a sustainable resource for the delivery of any teacher development and education programmes by the Andhra Pradesh government in the future. This cadre will deliver the face-to-face element of this project to 2500 teachers according to agreed quality standards in the project life cycle and similar projects in the future 
• to develop the skills of 2500 teachers (English and subject teachers) from participating universities/institutions in specified learner-centred approaches and techniques, for developing learners’ English language proficiency and support the delivery of the learner course 
• to improve 100,000 learners’ ability in English and develop their employability (ability to write CVs, find and apply for jobs and prepare for interviews) and soft skills (confidence, critical thinking, problem-solving, team working, presentations etc.) for increased opportunities in further education or employment 

About the role

We are seeking a materials writer to adapt existing A2 and B1 Common European Framework of Reference of Languages (CEFR) face-to-face content and materials (mapped to British Council LearnEnglish Select online course) to A2-B1 mixed ability level agnostic 100-hour course (50 hours Year 1 and 50 hours Year 2) to support the project to agreed standards and budget. Materials will be designed to complement the Learn English Select (LE Select) online course (50 hours of input) with a focus on employability skills (building confidence, writing a job application/CV, preparing for an interview, etc.). In addition to face-to-face lessons, the materials are likely to play a significant role in offering learners an opportunity to practise employability skills out of class with peers.

Furthermore, the materials will need to be culturally aligned to the target audience while at the same time expose the learners to international varieties of English. 

The Materials Writer will be working with the members of the British Council academic team. Content will need to meet academic quality standards and guidelines agreed by the team.

Main duties:

• contribute to discussions on the materials outline during the briefing workshop (remote)
• devise face-to-face materials (A2-B1 level agnostic course; two booklets i.e. 50 hours Year 1 and 50 hours Year 2) from existing A2 and B1 LearnEnglish Select F2F course (100-hours each level) within the established time frame
• ensure materials positively demonstrate British Council expertise in English, safeguarding equality, diversity and inclusion and environmental policies and standards
• work closely with the team to ensure materials design meets LE Select Online learning objectives and outcomes
• attend regular progress review meetings face-to-face or by telephone
• review and revise materials in line with feedback received from the British Council academic team 

Duration: We estimate 60 days of full-time work will be required for completion between August and October 2018 (preferably mid-October). It is essential that we have 50-hours of materials by the end of August as these need to be ready for Master Trainer Training scheduled for 10 September. The other 50-hours can be completed by the end of October 2018. All materials are to be completed to the required standard by the end of October 2018.

Qualifications and experience required

Essential:

• Cambridge Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (DELTA) or recognised equivalent and substantial classroom English language teaching experience, including general and business English courses for adults
• Experience in teaching / facilitating online or blended courses / digital learning 
• Track record in successful writing of high-quality English Language Teaching (ELT) materials that facilitate effective learning and are also engaging. Experience of materials design for online/blended courses. If not commercially published, then other evidence of success required
• Track record in delivering quality work, as commissioned, to the deadline and without close supervision
• Experience of working remotely with a team 

Desirable:

• Experience of teaching English to learners from South Asia

Proposed fee: 275 GBP per working day

Apply

If you are interested, please send: 

• CV 
• covering letter tailored to the above requirements 
• three examples of your materials aimed at a similar audience 
• names of two referees who are familiar with your materials writing work to: 

kamini.taneja@britishcouncil.org with subject heading: Materials Writer: EL Teaching Development

Please note that we can only respond to successful applicants and only within five working days of the application deadline.