Phase 811
Phase 811
Phase 811
Objectives
• To understand the need for material development for executing teaching language
effectively.
• To acquaint oneself with different teaching materials.
• To develop appropriate teaching materials based on given parameters.
• To evaluate teaching materials including textbooks.
The objectives of the course are implemented through the materials. This Phase
discusses the factors that need to be kept in mind while selecting the materials you will
use in class. A great deal of thought is required for material selection – appropriateness,
Introduction
studies principles and procedures for the design, implementation and evaluation of
language teaching materials, by teachers, for their own classrooms and by material
writers for sale or distribution. Ideally, these two concepts are interactive.
They can be linguistic, visual, auditory, or kinesthetic and they can be presented
They can be instructive in which they inform learners about the language or
experiential in which they provide exposure to the language in use. They can be
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elucidative in which they stimulate language use or they can be exploratory in that they
Historical Development
It wasn't until 1990s that this particular agenda came to notice. Until then, it was treated
The answer to that is simple: All teachers are basically material developers, and, an
effective teacher should possess the skill to develop material based on the need of the
class. There cannot be a strict pattern that everybody should follow while developing
Some will say that it is the most convenient form of presenting material as it helps to
achieve continuation. It also gives learners a sense of system and cohesion. On the
other hand, others argue that it is inevitably superficial and cannot cater to all the
diverse needs of all users. On top of that, it imposes uniformity of syllabus and
most language, text books aim at explicit learning of language plus practice. The
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main exceptions are materials developed in 1980’s which aim at facilitating informal
discussions, projects, games, simulations and drama. These activities are popular,
but treated as supplementary materials in addition to course books which still focus
on the explicit learning of discreet features of the language. The debate about the
some people advocating a strong focus on language experience through a task based
activities.
· Videos, CD-ROMs,
· DVDs, dictionaries,
· Grammar books,
· Readers,
· Workbooks,
· Photocopied exercises,
· Internet sources.
Materials can be divided into non-technical and technical media. Examples of non-
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· Blackboard
· Whiteboard
· Magnet board
· Flannel board
· Pegboards
· Flashcards
· Index cards
· Wall charts
· Posters
· Maps
· Scrolls
· Board games
· Mounted pictures
· Photos
· Cartoons
· Line drawing
· Objects
· Realia
· Brochure
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· Leaflets
· Flyers
· Puppets
· Newspapers
· Magazines
Point to note: These items have many advantages in places where technical
· Podcasts
· Audiotapes
· Audio-recorders
· Records
· Record players
· CD’s/CD players
· Radio/television
· Telephones
· Tele-films
· Film projectors
· Computer software
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· Hardware
· Overhead transparencies
· Language lab
· Multimedia lab
· Opaque projectors
· Slides, filmstrips
· Digital boards
Point to note: Contrary to those from the first group, the latter are expensive and less
user-friendly.
• The teaching process is made easier and materials may be used to explain,
• Materials change the dynamics of the class routine through the possibility
• Materials can also help the teacher address the individual differences of
students.
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Influencing factors:
Three principles for developing materials: that applies to the needs, wants and
bring with them to the classroom so that it can also function as a catalyst
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As a logical consequence of these principles, teacher educators must study more closely
how they can help future teachers in using materials in the EFL classroom. The
the alternatives to their particular contexts, since they may be EFL teachers in rural
types of teaching materials. In the search for practicality, teachers have to find a
situated, eclectic, personal approach to using materials in their teaching. This may allow
them to reflect on their experience and write about new ways to teach with and without
materials or to look for alternative ways to use traditional materials. The possibility
principle may have an application in the possibility of changing the paradigm of EFL
teachers from mere materials consumers in ESL settings to teachers capable of creating
Movie Viewing in EFL Listening: Movie videos should not be regarded as merely a
peripheral ‘extra’ in a listening class; on the contrary, they can function as the core
• The single-scene approach, as the name suggests, requires the teacher to use
• The selective method: involves the viewing of a few scenes chosen by the
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• Whole-film: lastly, in the whole-film approach the teacher shows the movie in
full length.
and inferring strategies by visual clues, facial expressions, voice and sound track.
• Promote active viewing and listening for key words and main ideas.
accomplishment.
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Some important concepts related to the construction of language:
It has been argued earlier in this paper that teachers occasionally face a situation where
they’re required to devise their own materials for the lessons, in that case, there are 7
variables that are to be taken into account when writing materials for language
instructions:
6. Time – availability;
7. Finance – amount.
The teachers have to keep these variables in mind while developing materials.
Necessary adjustments should be done if the materials being constructed turn out not to
and the teacher should be aware that this process should follow a certain procedure.
EFL Teachers see materials as a very important component in effective teaching. They
tend to associate effective teaching with the availability of different kinds of materials,
mainly technical.
Student teachers require longer and deeper training in the use of technical and non-
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Teacher educators need to expose students to real school contexts in which students
face the limitations in the use of materials experienced in regular EFL classrooms.
Additionally, they need to train future teachers with the use of applications such as
multimedia in teaching and learning foreign languages as private schools and language
centers include the use of these materials as strengths in their EFL programs.
Text books are key component in most language programs. In some situations, they
serve as the basis for much of the language input learners receive and the language
practice that occurs in the classroom. They may provide the basis for the content of the
lessons, the balance of skills taught and the kinds of language practice the students take
part in. In other situations, the text book may serve primarily to supplement the
teacher’s instruction. For learners, the textbook may be provided by the teacher. In the
case of experienced teachers, textbooks may also serve as a form of teacher training –
they provide ideas on how to plan and teach lessons as well as formats that teachers can
use.
Much of the language teaching that occurs throughout the world today could not take
place without the extensive use of commercial textbooks. Learning how to use and
program may have no central core and learners may receive a syllabus that has
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• They standardize instruction. The use of a textbook in a program can ensure that
the students in different classes receive similar content and therefore can be
exposed to materials that have been tried and tested, that are based on sound
• They are efficient. They save the teacher’s time, enabling teachers to devote time
• They can provide effective language models and input. Textbooks can provide
support for teachers whose first language is not English and who may not be
• They can train teachers. If teachers have limited teaching experience, a textbook
together with the teacher’s manual can serve as a medium of initial teacher
training
They may distort the language. Textbooks often present an idealized view of the world
topics are avoided. An idealized view of the world is portrayed as the norm.
• They may not reflect student needs. Since text books are published for global
markets, they often do not reflect the needs of the local students, hence texts
require adaptation.
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Evaluating Text books
With such an array of text books and other kinds of instructional materials to choose
from teachers need to be able to make informed judgments about textbooks and
teaching materials. Evaluation can only be done considering something in relation to its
purpose. A book may be ideal in one situation because it matches the needs of that
situation. However, the same book can turn out to be unsuitable in a different situation.
syllabus and the content of the program or will this be determined by the
book?
• Will the book or the textbook series provide the core of the program or is
• How experienced are the teachers in the program and what are their
levels of training?
• Are they native speakers of English? If not, how well do they speak
English?
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• Do teachers tend to follow the textbook closely or, do they use it for
reference?
• How will they use the book in class? Is it the primary source of classroom
activities?
• They should cater to the learners' needs and match the aims and objectives
• They should reflect the usage which learners will make of the language so
• They should have a clear role as a support for learning. Like teachers, they
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The type of evaluation a book receives will also reflect the concerns of the evaluator.
One teacher may look at a book in terms of its usability. The teacher is primarily
interested in whether the book works easily in her class. Is it flexible and could easily be
adopted? Another teacher may look at a book much more critically in terms of its
theoretical approach. If it is a book that teaches conversational skills, then what is the
theory of conversation is it based on? What kind of syllabus is it based on? … These are
Thus, in each situation, questions specific to that situation need to be generated around
the main issues involved in the text book evaluation and selection.
Adapting textbooks
Some form of adaptation is almost always required to make a textbook more suitable.
Modifying content
• Content may need to be changed because it does not suit the target learners’ age,
• The book may contain too much or too little of the program. Whole units may
have to be dropped. For example, a course may focus only on listening and
• Focusing on the type of activities that fit your objectives - e.g. dialogues, reading,
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• Putting the activities in an order that take into account what you know about the
• Refocusing activity
• Formatting – how will the activity be presented to the class? – e.g. the textbook
may specify a “listening” activity, but the teacher may decide to change this to a
focus. For example, a listening activity that focuses only on listening for
information is adapted so that students listen a second or third time for different
purposes.
Extending tasks
• Exercises may contain insufficient practice and additional practice tasks may
need to be added.
• Additional focus. For example, a listening activity that focuses only on listening
for information is adapted so that students listen a second or third time for
different purpose.
The ability to be able to adapt textbooks in these ways is an essential skill for teachers to
develop. Through the process of adaptation, the teacher personalizes the text making it
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Monitoring the use of materials
No matter what form of materials teachers make use of, whether they teach from text
books, manuals or teacher prepared materials, they represent plans for teaching. They
do not represent the process of teaching. As teachers use these materials, they adapt
how teachers use course books and other teaching materials in their teaching.
Observation:
Classroom visits to see how teachers use the textbook and to find the quality of
Feedback sessions:
Group meetings in which the teachers discuss their experience with textbooks.
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Written reports:
The use of reflection sheets or other forms of written feedback in which teachers make a
brief note about what worked well and what didn’t work well in a given situation.
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