| Supplementation of TEFL/ESL lessons has always | | | | and in most institutions, teachers need worksheets |
| been a time-consuming process, eating into | | | | targeted to these books. For a fee competitive to |
| teachers’ precious planning and preparation time. In | | | | paper-resource books, schools and teachers can |
| many language schools around the world, teachers are | | | | therefore subscribe to download handouts matched |
| faced with two starkly opposite supplementation | | | | exactly to the lesson/grammar they want to teach. |
| situations. Either they face re-inventing the wheel | | | | For example, browsing Cutting Edge Intermediate on |
| every lesson with their own self-made handouts and | | | | and clicking on chapter 9 ‘Future Society’, the |
| worksheets, or must stare at a whole wall of | | | | website returns eleven different handouts teachers |
| supplementary books and resource packs looking for | | | | can use depending on what page they are teaching; |
| the appropriate worksheet. Schools similarly face | | | | from language for future predictions to phrases with |
| challenges in what materials from the plethora available | | | | ‘make’. |
| to invest their limited budgets in. | | | | The question of why is intelligent handout matching so |
| The future of supplementation in English classes surely | | | | beneficial to teachers of English must be asked. Quite |
| lies online. This is primarily for three reasons. Firstly, the | | | | simply, every school dreams of having a resource |
| budgets of language schools are being squeezed | | | | bank where handouts can be accessed that are |
| owing to the high costs of paper-based supplementary | | | | relevant and targeted to the language focus at hand. |
| resources. A single copy of a grammar resource book | | | | The unique selling point of Handout Hub is that it |
| containing photocopiable materials is usually between | | | | matches handouts from its database of over one |
| 20-50 US dollars. Secondly, more and more schools | | | | thousand to a wide range of leading TEFL/ESL course |
| have access to computers, the Internet, printers and | | | | books such as New English File, New Cutting Edge, |
| photocopiers, opening up the online sphere for quality | | | | New Headway etc. All teachers must do is browse |
| TEFL/ESL handouts. Thirdly, one site, has successfully | | | | the book lists for the chapter/page they are teaching |
| piloted intelligent handout matching, whereby the site | | | | and download the applicable handouts. The benefits of |
| matches the chapter numbers and pages of common | | | | saved time, pedagogically-sound supplementation, and |
| TEFL/ESL course books with handouts on its large | | | | intuitive resource planning for entry-level professionals |
| database, cutting teacher planning time massively. | | | | who are inexperienced are obvious. |
| This is a huge step for the online market for | | | | The benefits to schools are equally impressive. |
| downloadable supplementary TEFL/ESL resources. | | | | Schools primarily cut costs in these challenging |
| There can be no denying that this sphere has been | | | | economic times where students, concerned with their |
| severely underdeveloped until this. Simply searching | | | | personal finances, may cut back on English classes. |
| ‘tefl handouts’ on any search engine reveals | | | | Schools also obtain access to a large database of |
| the flaws in the much of the current market. For one, | | | | TEFL/ESL worksheets which they do not have to |
| many sights promise free resources such as grammar | | | | devote time to managing. The hegemony of a number |
| activities, which turn out not to be downloadable. Online | | | | of English course books that the majority of schools |
| grammar activities embedded in websites offer little to | | | | use also results in successful intelligent matching, as |
| no benefit to classroom teachers who need paper | | | | teachers are using books indexed to handouts in the |
| handouts. Furthermore, the market for subscription | | | | Handout Hub. |
| handouts is nascent, and arguably cornered by the | | | | In conclusion, it is clear from the increasing global supply |
| publishers – providing limited supplementation to their | | | | and demand for English that greater quality and |
| own printed books. What subscription sites that have | | | | innovation is required in the realm of downloadable |
| existed either do not contain enough handouts, offer | | | | supplementary TEFL/ESL resources. The inevitability |
| poor quality handouts in relation to their paper | | | | of purse-string tightening experienced during the |
| competitors, or offer handouts that do not supplement, | | | | recession has brought online supplementation forward |
| but in fact replace course book material. | | | | through the launch of Handout Hub. Its revolutionary, |
| The way forward is undeniably intelligent handout | | | | intuitive, and cost-effective approach to TEFL/ESL |
| matching, pioneered by Handout Hub. After many | | | | handout supplementation gives online handouts a bright |
| months of research and development, I, the founder, | | | | future in the world of teaching English as a foreign |
| came upon the idea that most major TEFL/ESL | | | | language. |
| language chains operate with the same course books, | | | | |