(November 2022) Message from the Coordinator 

Dear MW-SIG members,

I hope that the autumn semester is going well for you. The JALT International Conference is just around the corner! To help you decide which presentations to attend, here is a list of the MW SIG events. Hope to see you all in Fukuoka!

Best wishes,

Adam Murray
MW-SIG Coordinator

1. MW SIG Forum

Three Decades of EFL Publication: Insights and Advice From Todd Jay Leonard
Saturday, November 12th, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Room 409

Carle, John - Kinki University
Leonard, Todd Jay - University of Teacher Education Fukuoka

The Materials Writers SIG is delighted to have Todd Jay Leonard, author of more than 20 books, to share his insights and advice on publishing in Japan. Todd will be interviewed by John Carle, program chair of the MW SIG. The discussion will cover a variety of topics, including how to connect with publishers, the changing landscape of the industry, and the risks and rewards of publishing.

2. MW SIG Annual General Meeting (AGM)

MW SIG Annual General Meeting
Saturday, November 12th, 6:45 PM - 7:10 PM
Room 409

This AGM of the Materials Writers SIG will cover the following: reports from the MW-SIG Coordinator, Membership Chair, Treasurer, Program Chair, Publications Chair, and Members-at-Large. Officers will lay out plans for the upcoming year, including publication themes and deadlines, PanSIG, JALT International, and other programs. Contributions and ideas from all MW-SIG members are highly encouraged. New members and new officers are welcome! This is a great SIG to network and learn about materials writing.

Message from the Coordinator (October 2021)

Dear MW SIG members,

It has been a crazy year for all of us and I hope that all of you are well. The JALT International Conference will soon be here. I’m sure that it will be a great conference for professional development. Hope to see you online! In the meantime, here’s what has been happening in your SIG.

Best,

Adam Murray

SIG Coordinator

1. Upcoming Event

British Council ELTons Awards, What’s It All About?  How to Apply, Become a Finalist, and Win!
Fiona Wall Minami, 2021 Finalist for her Textbook, Escape The Classroom
Saturday, November 6th, 8 PM to 9 PM, Zoom

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. Google Form with details.

2. MW SIG Forum

The Business Side of Independent Writing and Publishing
Saturday, November 13th, 12:45 PM - 2:15 PM  (90 minutes)

Presenter(s): Carle, John - Kinki University; Spiri, John - Gifu Shotoku Gakuen University; McNabb, R. Gregg - Shizuoka Institute of Science & Technology; Anderson, Sean - Crystal Hunters Manga
Please join us at the National JALT 2021!

3. Officers for 2021-2022

Are you interested in becoming more active in YOUR SIG? The SIG needs your help. All JALT SIGs have five “core” officers: coordinator, treasurer, program chair, publication chair, and membership chair. In addition, the MW SIG has other officer positions such as publicity, Japanese language coordinator, website editor, and member-at-large. If you would like to read a basic overview of this positions, please check out the officers’ page on the website: http://materialswriters.org/joomla/index.php/officers

To express your interest in stepping forward and running for one of these positions, please contact me < murray @ gec. lab. u-ryukyu .ac .jp > (Spaces have been added to avoid the spam-bots)

4. MW SIG Annual General Meeting (AGM)

MW SIG Annual General Meeting
Saturday, November 13th, 2:45 PM - 3:30 PM  (45 minutes)

At this meeting, we will elect new officers, report on our activities over the previous year, and discuss ongoing SIG matters. Please plan to attend the AGM – we need your support! If you are considering becoming more active in your SIG, this is the perfect opportunity!

5. Between the Keys

Got something to share with your colleagues in Japan and around the world? We publish a wide range of articles including reviews, and “My Share”-style articles. For more details (and the style guide) take a look at http://materialswriters.org/joomla/index.php/publications