ADAPTING MATERIALS

What the materials

offer: content,
organization and
consistency.

What we have: the

characteristics of
particular teaching
situations.

Choice of Topics: Content based

Instruction, different fields: Biology,
Geography, History, ect.

Learner Characteristics: 1-Beginners, Pre-intermediate,

inter-mediate, etc. 2-Ages: Children, Teenagers, Young
adults, etc.

Skills Covered: Listening,

Speaking, Reading, writing.

Physical Environment: Public Schools, private schools.

Crowded Classrooms, etc.

Proficiency Level: Beginners, Preintermediate, inter-mediate,

Resources: Classrooms with or without Computer, videoprojector, Tape recorders. Comfortable chairs and A
languages lab, tables, teacher and assistant (Foreign teacher).

Grading Of Exercises: Slow

Grading, Fast Grading.

Class Size Crowded Classrooms, or classrooms with plenty of

room.

International
geography of
English language
teaching

Increasing the
relevance of
content (learners
interests and
needs)

Will
address the
learning
styles

Modernizing:
materials can be out
of date or misleading
and incorrect

by means of
Adjusting the
sequence of
presentation

Expanding and
extending

Subtracting
and abridging
Making
instructions and
explanations
easier

Re-writing and
re-structuring

The kind of language

(structures, vocabulary,
and functions) for the
learners to internalize.

adding, deleting, modifying,

simplifying, or re-ordering
segments in textbooks
according to learners needs.

adjustments in materials
regarding language skill
issues (listening,
speaking, reading, and
writing)

activities from materials

are modified considering
disciplinary aspects.

Taken from McDonough, J. & Christopher Shaw, C. (2003). Materials and methods in ELT: A teachers guide (2 nd edition). UK Blackwell Publishers. Adapted by
Salazar, J., Ospina, S., Lpez, A. & Pinto, A. (2015). Language Learning Resources (module). Universidad de Caldas, Manizales.