Everyone who contributes to Raise Up! is a volunteer. We are very grateful to them for getting involved and being part of this project. If you want to become part of the team, get in touch!
Writers
Sergio Durand
Sergio Durand is head of the languages department at Escuela Normal Veracruzana in Xalapa, Mexico. He also lectures literature written in English at Universidad Veracruzana. Sergio holds an MA in Humanistic Studies and is currently completing another MA in TEFL. Sergio wrote the lesson You are(n’t) welcome! for our B1 book.
Why did you decide to get involved with Raise Up!?
The main reason to get involved is that I heard and read a lot of scholars criticizing current coursebooks without actually proposing a solution. Raise Up! is not only complaining about the coursebook industry, it is taking action by giving an option to those that have felt out of the discussion and don’t feel represented in their own learning materials.
Could you tell us a little bit about your lesson?
Migration is a huge problem that has become even more complex in the XXI century. The lesson discusses the topic from a different perspective, it tries to give voice to those that have been silenced in media or even in traditional coursebooks. By analyzing the problem from a different angle, I try to get learners involved more critically in these topics.
Heloisa Duarte
Heloisa Duarte has been involved in English language teaching for over 26 years as a teacher, teacher educator, materials writer, consultant and manager. She has recently finished her MA in Language Education at NILE, and specialises in the portrayal of older people in ELT materials. Heloisa wrote the lesson Social Me for our B1 book.
Why did you decide to get involved with Raise Up!?
I decided to take part in this wonderful project because I believe we can change the world. It may sound a bit too simple, but I do. And I believe that bringing diversity into our lessons is a great way to start that change.
Could you tell us a little bit about your lesson?
My lesson’s focus is on the use of social media and travel, and the characters in the lesson are older women. I believe it is of utmost importance to acknowledge the fact that we can do whatever we want, be it work, use social media or simply have fun, at any age.
Hugh Dellar
Hugh Dellar is a London- based teacher and teacher trainer with twenty years experience. He is the co-founder of Lexical Lab and has recently co-written the methodology book Teaching Lexically for Delta. He is the co-author of two five-level General English series, Innovations and Outcomes, both published by National Geographic Learning. Hugh wrote the lesson Different Class for our B1 book.
Why did you decide to get involved with Raise Up!?
I first became aware of Raise Up! through social media and loved the idea, and then saw James and Ilá present the series at IATEFL. I wanted to get involved both because I think it’s important that teachers have quality material that allows the issues the book tackles to be raised in class, and also because I think the cause the profits go towards is a good one.
Could you tell us a little bit about your lesson?
My lesson looks at negative stereotypes of working-class culture and what they’re missing. It’s an exploration – and a celebration – of various kinds of creativity that are common in working-class communities. Coming from a lower-class background myself, it’s something I’ve long wanted to write about, so thank you for giving me that chance.
Carlos Gontow
Carlos Gontow is an English teacher, writer and teacher trainer. He has extensive experience in teaching children, teenagers and adults. He’s involved with teaching English through theater, games and songs. He’s the author of several books. His website is carlosgontow.com.br. Carlos wrote the lesson What’s Your Family Like? for our B1 book.
Why did you decide to get involved with Raise Up!?
Because I saw the fantastic work done by Ilá and James in the first one and I thought, “What an amazing idea! I have to be part of this.” It’s a great way to do something that we can’t usually do in a regular coursebook, and it’s also a way to help other people.
Could you tell us a little bit about your lesson?
My son’s high school teacher said that if you omitted the commas in the sentence, “My father, who works a lot, is unemployed now,” it wouldn’t make sense. When my son said, “Well the guy could have two fathers,” he was sent to the principal’s office for disrupting the class. That teacher missed a perfect teaching moment because she was prejudiced. So I decided to write a lesson on relative clauses showing that if you have only one father, you don’t have to identify him, but if you have two, you do.
Andrew Walkley
Andrew Walkley is a teacher, trainer and materials writer. With Hugh Dellar, he has written two coursebook series: Innovations, and Outcomes and a methodology book, Teaching Lexically for Delta Publishing. You can do a face-to-face course based on this material as part of their London Summer School. As speakers and trainers, we have conducted plenary presentations, talks, workshops and short courses in over 40 countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and South America.
João Eduardo Quadros
João Eduardo is a teacher, researcher and former teacher trainer who worked with international and bilingual programs in Minas Gerais, Brazil. He holds degrees in Education and English language. In 2013, he defended his Master’s thesis about the parental choice of bilingual kindergarten schools in Belo Horizonte. He has been particularly interested in the reproduction of inequalities in Brazilian education.
Vicky Saumell
Vicky Saumell is a teacher, trainer, materials writer and presenter. She currently teaches at a bilingual primary school in Buenos Aires. She is also a freelance author and has worked as a writer and trainer for Pearson, CUP, Macmillan and Santillana. She is the Joint Coordinator for IATEFL Learning Technologies SIG. She has a professional website at vickysaumell.com.
Efi Tzouri
Efi Tzouri has a BA in English Language and Literature, specialized in Theatre Education and Theatre Production, and an MA in Language Education for Refugees and Migrants. She is keen on working with refugee groups. She describes herself as a potential material writer and volunteers with “The Hands Up Project”. Lifelong learner and film lover.
Editors
Luiz Otávio Barros
Luiz Otávio Barros (MA Hons, Lancaster University) is an internationally renowned author, speaker and teacher educator. Since 2003, he has written dozens of textbooks for students of English as a foreign language.
Why did you decide to get involved with Raise Up!?
One, we’re in desperate need of innovation in ELT. Two, I bought the previous book, and the lessons generally struck me as sound and well-written. Three, I trust and respect James and Ilá.
Could you tell us a little bit about your contribution?
It was interesting having to look at the lessons from two different perspectives: (1) Do the activities work? Does the lesson hang together well? and (2) How is inclusiveness dealt with in this particular lesson? Throughout my career as writer and editor, I’ve usually paid attention to the former rather than the latter, so this was a welcome break from what I usually do.
Ceri Jones
Ceri Jones is a freelance teacher, teacher trainer and materials writer. She has written for a number of coursebook series for adults and teenagers and is involved in teacher training courses both f2f and online. She is particularly interested in student-centred materials and activities.
Why did you decide to get involved with Raise Up!?
I really admire the principles of the project, the quality of the work and the wonderful people behind it and I was really happy to be invited to help out.
Could you tell us a little bit about your contribution?
I read and commented on one of the lessons as it was in progress and it was great to be part of a very creative and collaborative to-ing and fro-ing of ideas.
Karen Ohara
Karen Ohara is a Brazilian ELT teacher and material writer based in Berlin, Germany. You can contact her at karentiemy@pm.me and karentiemy.com.
Why did you decide to get involved with Raise Up!?
Because I think this is a wonderful and well-executed project that presents the world as plural and diverse as it is. I am really proud of being part of it.
Could you tell us a little bit about your contribution?
It was interesting to work with lessons that were typical at first glance, but after reading them I noticed they weren’t like anything I have ever seen on a coursebook. The whole commenting process was very smooth, pleasant and fun!
Bel Lacombe
Bel Lacombe is an ELT materials writer and editor for the Brazilian public and private sectors. She is currently a Ph.D. student at Unicamp. She holds a Cambridge RSA-COTE and an M.A. in Applied Linguistics from PUC-SP. She has worked as an English language teacher, teacher educator, and coordinator language institutes and regular schools.
Lindsay Clandfield
Lindsay Clandfield is an award- winning writer, teacher, teacher trainer and international speaker in the field of English language teaching. He has written more than ten coursebooks and is the main author of the new young adult course Studio (Helbling Languages). He has written methodology books and also self-published extensively, including the e-book 52 and the sci-fi materials website exlt.wordpress.com.
Jen Dobson
Jen Dobson is an award-winning ELT author, consultant and teacher trainer. She’s also the technology and social media coordinator of the Materials Writers Special Interest Group for IATEFL. This raised her awareness of the need to support projects, like Raise Up!, in their quest to seek fairer representation in mainstream ELT coursebooks.
Illustrators
Dani Hersey
Dani Hersey is a teacher, teacher trainer, and materials writer. Her background is in art and illustration, with a certificate in children’s book illustration from Rhode Island School of Design, as well as a TEFL certificate from Boston Academy of English. She is currently based in São Paulo where she is committed to bringing creativity and maker-inspired empowerment to English language learning.
Kati Alice Bilsborough
Kati Alice Bilsborough is a freelance illustrator specializing in teaching materials. She has illustrated three series of Graded Readers, created ELT eBook and print book covers for numerous writers and organizations and is currently creating original artwork for a primary coursebook. bilsdesigns.com
Cleber Santos
Cleber Santos is an illustrator, English teacher, and teacher trainer.
Instagram: @cl3bear.art
E-mail: cleberton_cms@yahoo.com.br
Julia Mena Dobson
Julia Mena Dobson has a background in both art and English language teaching. She has been able to combine the two in her current work on teacher training projects and in the creation of ELT, CLIL and bilingual materials.
Ana García
Born in family of artists in Costa Rica, Ana has been involved in many aspects of arts all her life. She studied Fine Arts at the University of Costa Rica and later took the path of teaching Spanish and English. There, she found ways to apply her artistic skills to her job as well as various projects, like Peras del Olmo, a grassroots movement dedicated to stop harassment in public places. She now participates actively in the promotion and broadcast of cultural activities for her community.
Igor G. C. Saldanha
Igor G. C. Saldanha is a teacher of English from Brasilia, Brazil. He occasionally works as a freelance illustrator and his work can be seen on t-shirts, music posters, restaurant menus and on charming ESL course books such as Raise Up!
Danilo Vespa
Danilo Vespa is an illustrator and a web developer based in Munich, Germany. He holds a technical degree in arts and drawing as well as a bachelor degree in advertising. He also studied game development in a postgraduate program at Senac – SP. You can find him on Instagram as @dvespa.ilustra or contact him at d.vespa@gmail.com.
Proofreader
Rian Mark Nielsen
Rian Mark Nielsen holds an MA in English, a minor subject in Film and Media Studies, and the CELTA. He has worked in communications for more than ten years and now runs his own company, MarkMyWords, which offers various communications services, such as proofreading, translation, editing, subtitling, and transcription.
Raise Up! - A Diverse And Inclusive View Of English Language Teaching 