Develop Your English

with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Open access English language e-textbook

Develop Your English: with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is an advanced level (B2-C1) e-textbook.

Develop Your English presents topics that overlap with real-world issues from many perspectives, addressing how people, resources, and money are used in the world and creating relationships between relevant ideas.

The book is completely free to access online as an e-book and can be downloaded and used offline in EPUB or PDF versions. The first two versions are full of engaging and interactive content together with instant automated feedback, and offer you a wider range of accessibility features than a physical textbook. The PDF version allows you to work offline with a hard copy of the book and contains full answer keys and transcripts to accompany each unit so that you can check your progress. You can also download all of the audio files.

If you are an upper intermediate learner of English (B2) aiming for an advanced (C1) level you are warmly invited to access the book and Develop Your English further.

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE COPY

Cover design by Sozapato Ilustración

Award

Develop Your English was a finalist in the 2024 British Council ELTons Awards for Innovation in English Language Teaching and Learning, and received the Judges’ Commendation for Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action.

Here I am at the British Council Festival of Innovation 2024 alongside three other ELTons finalists talking about 'How can we prepare students for a complex world?' (My presentation from 19.30 - 26 minutes). Find the full transcript on Youtube.

Reviews of Develop Your English

Develop Your English was reviewed by 16 University of Sussex international students before publication. Here are some of the things they said about it:

‘Develop Your English is a transformative expedition into language proficiency, global awareness and sustainable learning.'

‘The units represented a diverse range of groups and geographical areas. This inclusivity adds a valuable dimension to the learning experience, offering exposure to a variety of perspectives. It differs from my previous English language learning materials, providing a richer and more globalised context.'

‘The content expanded my understanding of global challenges and the interconnectedness of sustainable development efforts significantly.'

‘Not all students can afford English classes in addition to purchasing teaching materials, so this textbook is the first I know of that promotes an accessible learning experience.'

‘This book infuses fun into language learning and actively engages learners’ intelligence’.

‘The inclusion of a range of task types prevents readers from becoming bored. The variety enhances the engagement of the reader and enables the assessment of their comprehension on various levels, including information extraction, note-taking, literacy and grammar.'

'This electric English book stands out as a departure from traditional teaching materials in China. The engaging topics, thoughtful design, and seamless connections between sections made it both attractive and inspiring.'

‘I found the subject really interesting as well as the reading and writing materials. Something I really enjoyed was how the whole world was represented through the stories, as well as how different accents were used in the podcasts’.

'The interactive practices woven throughout not only engaged me but also proved to be relevant and essential for reinforcing knowledge. I appreciated the effort to make the content both enjoyable and educational.'

‘The fact that I can record myself answering the questions is just amazing, and very helpful. I felt confident about the given questions.'

‘I especially liked how the vocabulary was brought up in different contexts and explained in different ways. I think it is much easier to learn how to use the word in this way.'

‘The tasks are structured in a manner that facilitates the learner’s gradual comprehension of the article, and are progressively more challenging.'

‘With Develop Your English you end up learning much more than you expected, almost without realising it, motivated by a slowly-cooked curiosity.'

‘An aspect that I really liked was the representation of different societies and cultures through each story that is told in text, audio or video. In addition to portraying a range of different accents that are essential to hearing as you learn a language, I was pleased to hear stories that were similar to my own experience, in work or in my own life journey.'

‘My critical thinking skill is enhanced considerably. Completing the tasks significantly enhanced my understanding of the text and listening material, reinforcing key concepts. I really appreciated the variety of task types within the units’.

‘The smooth transition from one thread to another is a testament to the author’s story-telling skills. The seamless flow keeps the reader’s attention, creating a continuous and engaging narrative.'

‘The textbook is interesting due to its shift from Eurocentric examples to more diverse voices.'

‘The automated feedback and instant answers to language tasks were so prompt and helpful. Indeed, they provided valuable guidance, allowing for immediate clarification and reinforcing correct language usage.'

Student Reviewers talking about Develop Your English

TRANSCRIPT

Adan: Hi. This is Adan, and I’ve done a Masters degree in English Literature. What I liked about Sue’s book is that it not only teaches you English, of course that’s the primary goal, but at the same time it brings together people from different nationalities like myself – I come from a different country where English is not the first language – but we have a common goal, looking at the world and the environmental aspects.

Winson: Develop Your English is a book whose design is not based on conventional ways of the normal English book - that is building on the grammar in the beginning - but it is designed based on topics, and the topics are based on the SDGs, which is very relatable to our daily lives. Throughout the book there’s a lot of phrases and words that are included in the book that are very relatable to us, and able to be used in daily life.

Adan: You’re learning the language and at the same time it’s like developing a conscience – not only a language conscience but at the same time an environmental conscience and how we can work towards a better world, and better environmentally conscious world.