Is My Textbook Just a Fancy Paperweight? Unveiling the Mysteries of Supplementary Material in ELT

Photo by Cottonbro Studio

by Katherine Reilly, originally published by ELT NEWS printed magazine.

As educators, we often contemplate the necessity of implementing supplementary materials to enhance and appease our students’ potential for learning. However, burdening ourselves with another ‘measly’ task while stacks of uncorrected papers demand our immediate attention is, in itself, a deterrent. Besides, we were told our shiny new textbooks are jam-packed with all the extra tools we need to offer students the most innovative and satisfying approach to embedding the language they so desire to command. ELT publishers have, without a doubt, made incredible advancements in offering the most accessible venue to learning, establishing their textbooks as the backbone of many language programs. Notwithstanding this marvelous feat, there are shortcomings which must be addressed, and addressed they shall! Fear not my disgruntled colleagues; when burdened with extra work, we always take it in our stride and never crib about it.

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How to Write an Essay

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by Katherine Reilly

Throughout your academic career, you will be called upon to write a formal assignment called an essay. An essay can have many forms or purposes; however, the basic structure is the same. Supporting a view, describing an event, finding a solution to a problem are only some of the formats we must tackle, but if we follow these simple rules, the essay will ‘write itself’ as we expand our ideas.

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