How I approach the provision of ELT materials

Graded reader for beginners

I began this site in 1998. One of the earliest projects was the graded reader First Time in England for elementary-level learners. While telling a story, my intention here was to rehearse the very situations met by learners attending language schools in the UK and hosted by native English speaking families.

Discussion & vocabulary for higher levels

In April 2024, I published Prepare for Discussion which is available as a 208 page paperback followed in May 2024 by Extend Your Discussion available as a 96 page paperback.

Problem areas of lexis and grammar

Other sections of this website are intended to help with common areas of lexical and grammatical difficulty such as phrasal verbs and particles. I believe that these items are easier to learn when tied to memorable contexts, created through the use of short texts and entertaining questions.

Common mistakes in English pronunciation

The index to this section is a Common Mistakes page, which links to practice exercises & materials such as minimal pairs.

Language teaching methods

As my target audience is teachers as well as learners, I also provide a Language TESL/TEFL Methodology section. I received kind support in this from Robert O'Neill, who gave me permission to use a series of articles he had written on language acquisition. Robert sadly died in July 2014; I noted in tributes to him that I was not alone in experiencing his generosity.

Other interests

My local residents' association website is at http://www.roundhill.org.uk (The Round Hill Society)