BIP 3113

COURSE CODE: BIP 3113

NAME AND MATRIC 1. JEEVAN A/L A NAVENDRAN

LECTURER Profesor Madya Dr. Intan Safinas binti Mohd Ariff Albakri

TITLE ISSUES RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF

DATE 23/5/2024
 In order to ensure efficacy and inclusion, the process of developing materials for Englis h

as a Second Language (ESL) learners is intricate and demands careful consideration of numerous

issues. Managing the varied cultural origins and linguistic abilities of students is one of the main

obstacles. Giraldo, F. (2019) states that inequitable learning outcomes might result from cultura lly

biassed content since it can impede comprehension and engagement. The resources must also

strike a balance between linguistic accuracy and usefulness in order to enable learners to use their

knowledge in authentic settings. The requirement that resources be flexible enough to be used in

a variety of learning settings, including blended learning scenarios, online learning environme nts,

and traditional classrooms, is another important concern. These factors are essential to take into

account when developing materials that enable inclusive and encouraging learning environme nts

for language learners as well as language acquisition.

The first issue that can be found in the material is the material lacks the ability to be novel.

An issue that can be found in the material used in teaching writing skill is the material lacks impact

which causes problems in terms of having the students digest and absorb information from the

activity carried out. Here, the skill which is highlighted is writing skill. According to Tomlinso n

(2011), impact is achieved when a student has their curiosity peaked during the usage of the

material. The explanation here is that if interest is at its peak, most of the information gained in

the writing activity can be sorted out for processing. To put this into prespective, as the students

are second language learners, they need time to absorb the language offered in the material.

Especially when it comes to a writing activity, it is hard to include active learning since the success

of a writing lesson material depends on how interesting the presentation is. This is due to the fact

that writing skills are developed best when the material is outstanding. Howard 2004) mentioned
that english language materials should be attractive. The material presented must have a certain

look to it that which includes aspects such as userfriendlyness and usability. A problem with the

material is the layout of the activities presented. Hence the writing activity in PULSE textbook

2page 82 is a prime example of a material that is lacking impact. Amaya Escorcia, Y. C. (2024)

startes that second language acquisition is a process mediated by multiple factors such as learners'

extrinsic and intrinsic emotions, their motivation and interest, and the environment in which they

learn. This can also be related to novelty of the material which the activity lacks due to the lack of

gamification.

The activity in the PULSE textbook is about writing a blog post. materials should be giving

an impact onto learners due to the fact that it does not trigger inclusivity towards the common

Malaysian classroom.
 One of the solution to counter the lack of novelty of the material presented is by having the

teacher modify the material to suit the intrest of the students. I would suggest presenting learners

with a text on visiting places which are familiar to them. Teachers can present a text on vacation

sites such as Cameron Highlands or Langkawi. Tomlinson (2011) reported that learners need to be

exposed to texts that trigger their curiosity in order for them to feel attracted by the material. When

they are able find novelty in the materials presented, the students will do the activity with a non-

monotone manner . The teacher can also conduct the quiz online using gamification tool as a way

to arouse interst among students. As mentioned by Tomlinson (2011), materials that are presented

in an attractive way, can arouse learners’ interest.

One of the issues in the materials used in teaching writing skill is culturally bias texts which

portray culture which is alien to the learners. Tomlinson (2011) mentioned that content introduced

to the learners should enable them to relate to their own culture. Tomlinson (2011) argued that

content which is unfamiliar to the learners or culturally exotic may make the learners feel uneasy

or anxious. Texts that are culturally biased may lead an item to perform differently for certain test-

takers than for others. This implies that people with particular cultural backgrounds may unfair ly

benefit or suffer from disadvantages, which could result in unfair outcomes. Students from

minority groups or those studying abroad may be more affected by these prejudices since they may

not have the same cultural background as the exam content assumes. In addition, Howard and

Major (2004) highlighted materials should be contextualized to the learners’ experiences and their

real life. Test-takers' motivation and self-esteem may suffer if materials are included that reinforce

stereotypes or cultural biases. Additionally, it can contribute to a prejudiced learning environme nt

and propagate unfavourable stereotypes. As a result, giving students materials that have unknown

subject could have the unintended consequence of making them anxious. They might also have
trouble comprehending the text's primary concepts. For instance, in the Pulse 2 textbook page 82,

the text is on seeing the sights in London. This place is not familiar to the students and may raise

some eyebrows in the classroom due to unfamiliarity.

One of the ways to address the issue with students being presented with culturally foreign

texts in their reading lessons is by modifying and presenting the students with a familiar text. To

ensure that all students see representation of their own experiences and origins, teachers can first

add varied materials that reflect a wide range of cultural viewpoints to the existing curriculum. To

balance the topic, this may entail using examples from other cultures, media, and literature.

Teachers can also allow students the chance to express their personal experiences and cultura l

backgrounds, which can add depth to class discussions and present different points of view. .

Teachers can lead critical conversations that assist students in identifying and analysing cultura lly

biassed materials by providing them with the tools to do so. Tomlinson (2011) reported that

learners need to be exposed to texts and illustrations that they can relate to their own culture. The

teacher can also include attractive photos that can arouse learners’ interest in reading about the

different types of sports. As mentioned by Tomlinson (2011), materials that are presented in an

attractive way, can arouse learners’ interest. Besides that, the text can intresting trivia about places

that are the top tourist destinations in Malaysia. Teachers can focus on places that are familiar with

the students and places that they have already been to. This is aligned with what Tomlinson (2011)

highlighted about materials should present appealing content to engage learners.

To sum up, creating resources for ESL students requires navigating a wide range of diffic ult

issues in order to make sure they are efficient, inclusive, and equitable. Cultural bias is a major

problem that can compromise the reliability and equity of tests and educational resources. Texts

that are culturally biassed can hurt students from different backgrounds, distort exam results, and
lower student enthusiasm and participation. It is essential to use bias review panels, include diverse

content reflecting many cultures and viewpoints, and give test developers and raters extensive

training in order to solve these problems. Furthermore, maintaining consistency and fairness in

scoring especially in subjective evaluations is essential to maintaining assessment dependability.

Authenticity and practicality are equally important since the materials should be applicable and

feasible to use.
REFERENCES

Amaya Escorcia, Y. C. (2024). Gamification as a Tool to Strengthen the Language Skills of ESL

Learners (Order No. 31237956). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

(3042984443). https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/gamification-as-tool-strengthe n-

language-skills/docview/3042984443/se-2

Giraldo, F. (2019). Designing Language Assessments in Context: Theoretical, Technical, and

Institutional Considerations. HOW Journal, 26(2), 123-143.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335330472_Designing_Language_Assessments_in_Co

ntext_Theoretical_Technical_and_Institutional_Considerations

Jocelyn Howard, & Jae Major. (n.d.). Guidelines for Designing Effective English Language Teaching

Materials.

Materials development in language teaching. (2011). https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139042789

Tomlinson, B. (2011). Access-self materials. Materials Development in Language Teaching, 414-

432. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139042789.022