Having authored various English language teaching books and resources, one of the questions I get asked most frequently is how to get into ELT materials writing. In this post, I would like to share some of my thoughts, experiences, and advice for anyone interested in a career in educational content creation. 

But firstly, I would like to manage expectations... 😉

ELT materials writing is NOT lucrative!

If you want to get into ELT materials writing for the money, I am taking the time now to burst your bubble gently. English language teaching materials writers are not paid vast sums of cash. In fact, they probably earn about the same as teachers—some less, some more. It depends on the publisher and the workload, but largely royalties are falling, fees are decreasing, and then there are the new concerns brought by AI. 

If you want to get into ELT materials writing because you are creative and LOVE creating resources, fantastic. It is a wonderful career with lots of potential. You can wear a variety of different hats and work with loads of diverse professionals from all over the world. You can also choose to specialize in all sorts of different areas, such as business, young learners, specific purposes, sustainability, advanced, and literacy. 

So here are my top tips for getting started: 

1. Practice 

I started my ELT materials development journey while teaching ESOL at a further education college in Glasgow. I created classroom resources tailored specifically to my learners' needs and to the local area. Then my boss asked me to develop courses in workplace English and for literacy-level learners. 

This experience gave me the chance to develop my skills, trial resources with my classes, and get confident enough to share my work. It also meant that I had sample units available for applying for work when the opportunity arose. 

2. Share your work

Visibility is crucial for becoming an ELT materials writer. Publishers and learning design organizations like to hire people who have an online presence. This can help them raise the profile of the resources they create and generate more sales. 

Sharing your work is a good way to tell the world you exist and to show the style, personality, and quality of your work. It has never been easier to create a website or share your lesson ideas on social media. The more you share, the more you are seen and the more likely people will ask you to work for them. 

3. Design visually appealing resources

It is often said that "you eat with your eyes first." This is also true of English language teaching resources. When designing materials, it is important that they will pass the "flick test." Most teachers will only pick up a book for a minute or so (possibly less). First impressions are everything. If the layout isn't captivating or clear, the book will go back on the shelf. Using images, thoughtful layout, and design tools such as Canva can make educational content more visually edible!

4. Consider accessibility

There is more to layout than simply making a worksheet look pretty. It also has to be easy to read, have clear instructions, and use accessible fonts, font sizes, and colors. 

Sans serif fonts tend to be considered easier to read than serif fonts. A "serif" is the little flick or tail on the end of some letters as in Times New Roman. This blog post and other Ellii resources use a sans serif font. 

In regard to font size, 12 point is the minimum size for readability, though larger and with greater line spacing is recommended. For PowerPoints, 24 is the minimum, but 36 or 44 are best practice. 

For more on this, you can watch this YouTube video of me walking through creating accessible learning materials with John Hughes: 

The A–Z of Writing Language Learning Materials: A Is for Accessible

And this blog post I wrote a few years ago, which is still relevant: 

Creating Accessible Learning Materials

5. Use vocabulary & grammar profiling tools

Making learning accessible to language learners relies on using plain English and getting the level right. If a text or listening activity is above level, it could be too challenging and de-motivate learners. If the activity uses language that is below level, learners may get bored or not receive enough of a challenge to learn. 

Vocabulary and grammar profiling tools allow you to check the level of a word or grammar item. One of the most popular versions is Cambridge English Vocabulary Profiler & Grammar Profiler. It profiles language items based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) from A1 level to C2. 

6. Join social networks

The English language teaching industry is global, so getting online and making connections is a crucial way to get ahead in materials development. Having a strong network means that you can reach out to people for advice, share your work, learn about opportunities, and let people know your skills and availability. 

Here are some groups that I have found particularly helpful: 

Freelance Publishing Professionals

FPP has a paid membership portal where publishers can post opportunities and freelancers can apply for projects and post their availability. It also has a Members Only Facebook group for people to share experiences, training opportunities, and other useful information. Once a year, they host a meetup in Oxford. 

www.publishingprofessionals.co.uk

IATEFL MaWSIG

IATEFL has many special interest groups. One focuses on MaW: Materials Writing. They host events, workshops, webinars, and an annual pre-conference event at IATEFL. They also have a Facebook group and helpful resources on their blog. 

www.mawsig.iatefl.org

Reflecting realities: Diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging in ELT

This group now focuses on DEIB for all ELT professionals, but was initially established with materials writers and editors in mind. Many of the people within the group are from the ELT content development community and, therefore, it often shares resources and ideas about materials creation. It is also a great place to connect with like-minded ELT professionals and learn more about creating inclusive and accessible lessons. 

www.facebook.com/groups/reflectingreality

7. Professional development

As with any career in ELT, participating in teacher development courses is one of the best ways to hone your skills. Not only will you learn to create the best possible resources, you will also meet other writers and editors who can help you stay in the loop about opportunities or recommend you for upcoming work. 

Here are some courses to check out: 

Nile: Materials Development for Language Education: www.nile-elt.com/products/MatDevOnline

Oxford TESOL: CertTESOL Materials Development: www.oxford-tesol.org.uk/oxford-certificate-in-tesol-materials-development/

John Hughes & Katherine Bilsborough: Writing ELT Materials: www.writingeltmaterials.com

Bridge: Materials Development for the EFL Classroom: www.bridge.edu/tefl/courses/micro/materials-development-efl

International House: Materials Development: www.ihlondon.com/course/materials-development

 

These are just a few of my top tips for getting into materials writing. Which ones would you like to try first? Is there anything missing that you would add? 

 

Here are some other blog posts that might be of interest to you: 

Beyond Teaching: ELT Careers to Keep You Motivated

Authentic Materials: Grading the Task

Ellii Talks about Materials Writing with The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast