With less than a month to the deadline for ELTons 2014 entries on Friday 22 November, the British Council has made a final worldwide call for applications.
Now in their twelfth year, the awards, run by the British Council and sponsored by Cambridge English Language Assessment and Macmillan Education, are a celebration of innovation and excellence in English language teaching (ELT) from around the world.
The awards are split into five categories: Excellence in Course Innovation, Innovation in Learner Resources, Innovation in Teacher Resources, Digital Innovation, and Local Innovation, as well as The Macmillan Education Award for New Talent in Writing.
In recognition of the rich variety of resources available to teachers, the submission criteria for this year’s Macmillan Education Award for New Talent in Writing has also been broadened and now allows aspiring ELT authors who may have chosen to self-publish or make their voices heard through different media such as blogs, eBooks or within their own institutions to apply.
The award is open to proposals big and small, from original lesson plans, blogs, research or articles to ideas for fully-fledged products. With increased mobility and globalisation in the sector, UK and international ELT professionals compete alongside each other in the same categories.
The British Council Lifetime Achievement Award, now in its fourth year, is also awarded at the prestigious ceremony, celebrating an ELT professional who has made a substantial contribution to the ELT profession throughout their career. Last year’s winner was Brita Haycraft, who founded International House along with her husband John.
Anna Searle, Director of English Language at the British Council, said: “As the deadline for applications is fast approaching, I would like to encourage all of you, across the ELT sector, with an innovative, practical and effective ELT product or service to submit your 2014 ELTons entries.
“The demand for English language teaching continues to grow across the world and these unique awards recognise the innovation and progress being made in this increasingly important sector. The award ceremony is an excellent opportunity to provide a platform for ELT authors, publishers and practitioners from across the globe to discover, celebrate and share new creativity and ideas that will shape English language teaching and innovations in practice of ELT for the future. The British Council is proud to have been awarding these accolades for the past 12 years and we look forward to receiving another fantastic host of entries for the ELTons 2014.”
The British Council is the UK’s cultural relations organisation, and builds relationships for the UK through English, education and the arts. It teaches English in more than 80 countries through face-to-face contact and innovative methods including radio, the internet and mobile technology.
Any ELT professional can apply for consideration for one of the categories including authors, teachers, trainers and publishers. Application packs can be downloaded from http://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/eltons and the deadline for submissions is 22 November 2013.
Applications will be judged by a panel of ELT experts and the winners are announced at a prestigious ELTons awards ceremony, held in London in May 2014.
For more information, contact Kristen McNicoll in the British Council Press Office on +44 (0) 207 389 4967 or email kristen.mcnicoll@britishcouncil.org