Global Issues in ELT
English Language Lessons
Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced
Global Issues in ELT is a collection of lesson plans, published as a book and on CD with an accompanying website. The lessons promote critical thinking, social awareness, inclusion, etc. They develop students' knowledge of the four systems (vocabulary, grammar, functional language, pronunciation) which promote development in the four skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening).
While the lessons were originally conceived with teachers and learners of English as a foreign language in mind, they are also used in English teaching at secondary schools and even college writing courses. See the review on the right. The book was conceived by Martina Pavličková, (now Holková) who was a founding member of the Brno Fair Trade Society and holds an MA in English from the department in which I later headed the teacher training section for eight years.
Her idea was to produce free-standing lessons that represented several aspects of each of the UN's eight millennium development goals. There would be lessons for elementary, intermediate and advanced. She employed me as the methodology consultant, native-speaking proofreader and co-contributor. We met with teachers interested in contributing lessons. Some of them subsequently provided lesson plans which Martina and I then spent six-months massaging into shape and into a book. The book was published in 2009. 
The following year, the book was awarded a British Council ELTons for innovation. This is the highest award in the English language teaching publishing field, which is itself, one of the largest publishing industries in the world.
The book is now out of print.
I am bound to everyone on this planet by a trail of six people: Why global issues matter is an article about the writing of the Global Issues book as it was presented at the National Conference of the Association of Teachers of English in the Czech Republic in 2011. It is in Google books here ELT: Converging Approaches and Challenges and on Academia.edu.
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Extracts from a review of Global Issues in ELTIt is my pleasure to tell you about my experience using Global Issues in the ELT Classroom. First, I should tell you that I am an adjunct assistant professor in the ESL and English composition programs.
For several years I have looked for a writing textbook to use with my students. I was so discouraged by the general low-level of assignments presented in the textbooks I considered that I decided to teach my course without using a textbook. However, when I looked through a copy of Global Issues in the ELT Classroom, I realized that I had finally found a textbook which would be perfect for my class. What first drew me to the text was its focus on the Millennium Development Goals. One of my main objections to the other texts I had considered was the poor choice of writing topics—My Dorm Room, The Funny Incident at the Restaurant, etc. These topics not only provided little of interest for my students to discuss, but also wouldn’t help them learn about the world outside the university. In contrast, the lessons and activities included in Global Issues in the ELT Classroom cover high-interest topics and help students think critically about issues of importance in the world. I also love the variety of activities the authors have put together. Each lesson includes activities that engage learners of different learning styles and keep both the students and the teacher interested in what is going on in the classroom. I especially appreciated the activities that have the students getting to their feet and moving around the classroom. No chance for boredom there! Using Global Issues in the ELT Classroom has been a great experience. Global Issues in the ELT Classroom focuses on the transformative power of reading, writing, speaking, and listening, and this is the most important reason to develop language skills. One of the activities my students just completed was the opinion poll on environmental issues from the chapter entitled “Eco Top Ten.” When my students presented the results of their research, it was evident that they had enjoyed this assignment immensely. At the same time, I felt good knowing that in completing their work they had spread the word to students outside the classroom about the importance of these issues. Global Issues in the ELT Classroom treats students as the intelligent people they really are and offers them important content, engaging activities, and opportunities for learning about their world while completing language learning tasks. It also offers instructors a wide variety of activities from which to choose so each lesson can easily be tailored to the specific class being taught. I am truly impressed by this text. Marian Woyciehowicz Gonsior Adjunct Assistant Professor Madonna University Livonia, MI 48185 |
