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Projects, testimonials and book reviews for Jason Anderson

Consultancy and research projects by Jason Anderson


Hornby Trust ELT-Journal Mentoring Scheme
2022-2024: Bangladesh, India, Madagascar, Uganda, UK
The Hornby Trust commissioned me to provide mentoring support to five teachers/teacher educators from the global South as they took individual research projects to publication in the Oxford University Press publication: ELT Journal.



British Council East Asia Teacher Continuing Professional Development Experiences and Needs of English Language Teachers
2021-2022: China, Japan, South Korea
I played a lead role in this consultancy carried out by Trinity College London for the British Council. We investigated the professional development experiences and needs, both online and face-to-face of over 7000 teachers in China, Japan and South Korea, offering insights into teachers' preferences, concerns and experiences during the Covid-19 lockdowns. The full project report is available here



British Council English Connects Project: English Club resource development consultancy
2020-2021: Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Congo (DRC), Djibouti, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Senegal
As part of the wider English Connects project across francophone and lusophone Africa, this consultancy involved initial baseline research with focus groups and online teacher communities regarding the scope and nature of school English Clubs at secondary level, followed by the development, trialing and modification of resource materials to support the clubs. Resources to encourage sustainable future materials development for English Club leaders and follow-up training were also provided. See here for more about the English Connects project. Click here to view/download the English Club Resource Book that I wrote during the project, and click here to view/download 'Our English Club Resource Book', created by the teachers during the materials development workshop. 



Learning points in Cambridge University Press coursebook materials (Cambridge University Press)

2020: UK


Consultancy for Cambridge University Press, involving analysis of learning outcomes and affordances implicit in a range of primary, secondary and adult coursebooks. Drawing on Rebecca Oxford's research into language learning strategies, both potential affordances and key learning intentions were found across several domains, involving both declarative and procedural knowledge, as well as affective, metacognitive and sociocultural-interactive domains.



The School Education System in India: An overview (British Council)
2019: India
British Council India commissioned Amy Lightfoot and me to conduct a detailed literature and data review leading to a report on the education system in India, including an overview of K12 education, teacher education and development, languages and technology in education and details on educational boards, institutions and major initiatives since independence. Click here to view and download the report.



Warwick University Shanghai Jiao Tong University: Tertiary teacher professional development programme
2018: China
Unversity teachers of English and critical thinking skills from two of the lowest income provinces of China (Yunnan and Guizhou) participated in a 4-week development programme including exploratory action research projects, the exploratory phase of which was conducted in groups during the course, followed by action research carried out in their home institutions with support from peers.


Translingual practices in Indian classrooms: Exploratory research project 
2017: India
Involving quantitative and qualitative research into the classroom practices of teachers of English in India with regard to code choice preferences, code-meshing and L1-inclusivity. Findings presented at ELTAI Annual Conference 2017.


Lead materials development consultant for British Council / Thai MoE Regional English Training Centre project
2017: Thailand 
Involving situation analysis and report on current nationwide teacher education cascade programme for English language teachers. Leading team of materials writers to improve current course materials to increase relevance and appropriacy for Thai primary teachers.  


"Concepts and practice" teacher development course for Aaron Babel Academy
2017: Morocco 
 Included teacher education seminars on aspects of lesson planning, structuring and delivery, observation of and feedback to course participants, materials development and recommendations for the Aaron Babel Academy. 

Visiting consultant at the Austrian Teacher Training College
2016: Austria 
Included observation and analysis of the ABCi bilingual classroom initiative for primary and secondary schools, workshops for teacher trainers and student teachers and recommendations for future development and project upscaling.

The role and impact of short teacher training courses when used for in-service teacher education, Pharos University
2016: Egypt 
Exploratory qualitative research project investigating the role of short teacher education courses on communicative language teaching on the practices and careers of experienced Egyptian English language teachers.

Lead materials developer for UNICEF Malawi in-service primary teacher education support strategy

2015: Malawi 

Working as part of a team of national and international experts for UNICEF Malawi/MOEST via Hydea Consulting Ltd., we performed a situation analysis for in-service teacher development nationwide and consulted key stakeholders at national level. Alongside MOEST partners, we developed a professional in-service diploma for primary teachers. I contributed several modules and oversaw the editing of materials and initial training for materials writers.

Consultant teacher educator and materials developer on the UNICEF Bangladesh Child-centred methodology project
2015: Bangladesh 
Designing and delivering the training of UNICEF and NAPE/PTI (Bangladesh Ministry of Primary and Mass Education) resource persons in Child-centred teaching/learning methodology as part of the Football Club of Barcelona (FCB) and Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) project to improve the quality of learning in 600 schools in Bangladesh. Also involves follow up training and support, monitoring and evaluation of the impact of the project at the classroom and learning outcomes levels.

Teacher Trainer on the British Council Pro-ELT Project in Sabah, Borneo
2013 -2014: Malaysia 
Working as part of the Pro-ELT teacher training team, I was responsible for training teachers in both English language proficiency and teaching methodology. As well as direct training, I was also responsible for developing teacher training materials for use all across Malaysia to help teachers prepare for the British Council Aptis exam. 

Lead educator and materials design co-ordinator for the UNICEF Malawi Child-centred Learning Workshops; consultancy for UNICEF Malawi and MOEST Malawi
2012 -2013: Malawi 
I co-led a team of core national trainers to design and roll out a teacher training programme for primary school teacher trainers and teachers at national level. The project included capacity building of core trainers and development of materials. Content included methodology on interactive, collaborative learning, development of stimulating classrooms and TALULAR resources.

Designer of course, materials and validation oversight for a new Trinity College London CertTESOL pre-service teacher training course, London, UK
2011-2012: UK 
Working initially as a consultant and then as director of teacher training, I created a new 4-week initial teacher training programme, leading to the Trinity Cert TESOL (English teaching) Qualification. An inspection by ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate, UK) carried out in September 2012 rated the course as 'outstanding', their highest provision.

M&E consultant developing criteria and instruments for evaluating UNICEF Child-friendly Schools Manuals in 10 countries worldwide; for the Commonwealth of Learning, Canada
2011: UK-based for Africa 
Working as a consultant for Commonwealth of Learning, Canada, I created criteria and instruments to facilitate the evaluation of the effectiveness of UNICEF Child-friendly Schools manuals developed by national UNICEF offices working in conjunction with local MOE offices in 10 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Rwandan Primary English Curriculum Developer
2010-2011: Rwanda 
I participated in the revision of national primary English curricula for grades 1-5, leading to a more child-centred, participatory curriculum that was introduced nationwide across Rwanda in 2012. 

Lead trainer and materials designer for national Training of Trainers in Child-centred Methodology Workshop for UNICEF Kenya and Kenyan Ministry of Education
2010: Kenya 
Designed and co-facilitated a training workshop for teacher trainers, school inspectors, curricula designers and MOE staff with other consultants that led to cross-country implementation of child-centred teaching methodology in 2011. Part of the UNICEF Kenya Child-friendly Schools project.

Co-trainer and materials designer for national Training of Trainers in Child-centred Methodology Workshop for UNICEF Rwanda and Rwandan MINEDUC
2010: Rwanda
Co-facilitated a training workshop for teacher trainers, school inspectors, curricula designers and MOE staff with other consultants that initiated the teacher training phase of the UNICEF child-friendly schools project in Rwanda. 


Testimonials for Jason Anderson

 "Jason and I have been working as a team since 2010, in Rwanda, Kenya and recently in Malawi. Jason has excellent teacher training skills and is an extremely hard-working, committed and dedicated professional. He is very reflective and has enriched his knowledge and skills based on his practical experiences in a number of African countries: Eritrea, Rwanda, Kenya and Malawi. He is a very amiable team player and would be an asset to any organisation promoting quality education by changing the teaching / learning processes through the Child-friendly Schools initiative."
 "Jason is a highly qualified trainer and displays a high degree of sensitivity towards trainees when conducting the training. He intuitively practices and promotes a democratic and highly participatory training environment, building at every stage on the knowledge and experience of the clientele. His facilitation skills help to very quickly develop the confidence of the trainees and bring out their potential. I would easily rate Jason's training skills at the top end of the scale. Jason specializes in training on child-centred teaching / learning methods for transforming classroom learning environments in primary education. It has been inspiring to work with him!"
"I worked with Jason on behalf of UNICEF in the preparation and delivery of trainer training for the Rwandan and Kenyan Ministries of Education. Throughout this time Jason proved to be a consummate professional, always prepared to go the extra mile to make trainings as effective as possible whilst continually engaging the participants to get a better understanding of their needs and wants. He demonstrated a wide range of skills in the planning, delivery and evaluation phases of the course and I would recommend him to anyone looking for a high quality bespoke teacher training programme." 
 “We hired Jason for a materials writing consultancy. We found Jason to be hugely dedicated, talented and hardworking. He has an extremely strong theoretical grounding and is very much able to 'think outside the box'. We were happy with Jason’s work and hired him to undertake additional work."
 "Jason Anderson is an outstanding teacher trainer. He demonstrated his expertise and competence in a teacher training course he provided for my post-graduate students who are interested in doing the CELTA this summer. His input sessions helped the trainees to develop their language awareness and to get familiar with different types of lessons and different components of lesson plans. His unique, enjoyable and effective approach to teaching not only motivated and engaged the trainees’ interest, but more importantly inspired them in their teaching practice. His constructive and effective feedback along with his continuous support and encouragement tremendously and constantly helped the trainees to boost their teaching and deliver good lessons with more ease and confidence."
"The Training 4 TEFL course is extremely well developed and particular care is taken to ensure the trainee teacher experience is excellent... The quality of teacher training and learning is outstanding. The excellent support for trainees, provided by experienced trainers, exceeds expectations. Particular attention is paid to the trainee experience to ensure a manageable workload and positive outcomes. Records of trainees successfully completing the course are excellent and extensive written and oral feedback is outstanding."
"Jason is the most dedicated professional I have met in education. As well as being an excellent project manager with a superb eye for detail, he has first-class analytical, design and problem solving skills. With his proven leadership skills, he is able to manage, develop and motivate teams to meet their objectives while creating a supportive working environment."
"I had the pleasure of being a trainee of Jason’s in the Pro-ELT teacher training programme in Malaysia for more than half a year and I can firmly attest to his abilities, efforts and preparedness as a teacher trainer. Jason would always do whatever it took to help his trainees and support everyone who was willing to put forth the effort. As a dynamic and hardworking trainer, his preparation was always extensive and his time management was always excellent. Jason’s knowledge and use of technology in the aid and extension of his teaching is exemplary. What sets Jason apart from most trainers is his strong grasp of subject matter, his ability to coach trainees and his funny, creative style of teaching that make learning both meaningful and fun. Therefore, I am totally confident that Jason shall definitely become a valuable asset to any teacher training programme like he was to ours." 
Contact Jason below for a full list of referees.

Reviews of publications by Jason Anderson

"Anderson provides an excellent balance of activities for the four language skills and at all levels. The author has made a special effort to provide varied and engaging tasks which can easily be incorporated in all types of classroom settings, from language schools to universities."
 "Speaking Games is a terrific find! This book is packed full of photocopiable resources to liven up any EFL class. Although the book targets students at the intermediate to advanced levels (B1, B2, C1), much of the material could be easily adapted for any level. The aim is for students to learn English in a fun and enjoyable way by using play and games to encourage real communication… I believe this book is an incredible resource and I thank the author for bringing it to our shelves!"
"The Trinity CertTESOL Companion is more than a guide for those on the CertTESOL: it is an ELT methodology book for the 21st century. Including key sections on language exams, ELF and native speakerism, in addition to invaluable units on the business of teaching itself, the CertTESOL companion will be a helpful guide for any early career teacher and those looking to refresh their knowledge ahead of diploma-level qualifications."
“The worksheets and their accompanying notes are so clear and easy to use that it would be possible to plunge right in and pick an activity for immediate use in class, but I would recommend that you read the short but illuminating introduction to the book first. It contains a sound rationale for the use of games, an explanation of how to find the game you need by using either the Contents pages or the three indexes at the back, and ideas for adapting the games to suit the preferences of your students. The games are well thought-out and attractively presented. . . I believe that teachers who wish to encourage speaking in their lessons and to ensure the enthusiastic participation of the whole class will find this an invaluable resource."
"My positive reaction to this excellent resource began when I opened the table of contents. . . I love the "real world" categories, which are not only real, but also relevant to adult students, not just teens (although I think teens would welcome much of this more grown-up material). . . An extremely useful aspect for me is that many of the activities have more than 2 parts, so there are more possibilities for recombining and extending the activity if needed or desired. . . With such normal and useful situations set up quite creatively and geared to adult learners, Role Plays for Today is a resource you'll turn to again and again."
"This is a really comprehensive guide, which provides everything you need to know about teaching in Africa, whether you have 20 or 0 years' experience. The author's style is very engaging and easy to follow, and the frequent tasks allow you to fully explore the concepts covered. If you're planning or thinking about teaching in Africa, this is a must buy."

"This attractively designed photocopiable resource book will prove invaluable for anyone who would like to use role plays in their classroom. . . This is a thoroughly well-thought-out and well-designed book which should prove a good addition to any teacher's shelves."

Click here to read the full review

"Anderson provides an excellent balance of activities for the four language skills and at all levels. The author has made a special effort to provide varied and engaging tasks which can easily be incorporated in all types of classroom settings, from language schools to universities."

Click here to read the full review

All publications and resources by Jason Anderson can be browsed and (most) downloaded free.