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Many teachers strive to engage their students by creating new materials and activities for their classes. In some cases, the materials they develop can be the basis for a book, which would become a helpful resource for other educators. Educators interested in writing and sharing their ideas may become well-known authors in the field and make a living creating textbooks and resources.

Publishers are often looking for knowledgeable and creative materials writers to develop textbooks. Some of the most common publishers in TESOL are Cengage Learning, Pearson ELT, Wiley, Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, TESOL International Association, Macmillan, Heinemann, Ballard-Tighe and University of Michigan Press. There are smaller publishing houses that supply important materials for professionals, such as Multilingual Matters and Domino Publishing. These publishers provide textbooks and readers for pre-kindergarten through university in various areas of study. They also offer resource materials for the classroom, such as manipulatives and games. Some organizations create software and applications as well for language study (e.g., Dyned, Rosetta Stone) or for teachers’ use (e.g., www.lessonwriter.com).

Educators who are interested in the development of tests, exams, and assessments can work for organizations who develop different types of exams. Some examples of assessment organizations are IELTS and WIDA. The IELTS is a standardized test of English language proficiency focusing on the language needed for communication in academic or work settings. WIDA is an organization that created a series of assessments to evaluate ELLs’ language proficiency in academics to determine if they need language study and support in pre-K–12 schools. Educators working in this area write test items, such as reading passages and comprehension questions or writing prompts. They may also assess how well a test question distinguishes the highest and lowest levels of performance.