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Phase 8 - Textbooks and Materials

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 Current Phase:

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,

suitability, adaptability, effectiveness etc.

Introduction

Material development is both a field of study and practical undertaking. As a field, it

studies principles and procedures for the design, implementation and evaluation of

language teaching materials. It involves the production, evaluation and adaptation of

language teaching materials, by teachers, for their own classrooms and by material

writers for sale or distribution. Ideally, these two concepts are interactive.

Materials can include anything that is used to teach language.

They can be linguistic, visual, auditory, or kinesthetic and they can be presented

through live performance, display or on CD.

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

seek discoveries about language use.

Historical Development

It wasn't until 1990s that this particular agenda came to notice. Until then, it was treated

as a subsection of methodology. But finally, people started to give more prominence to

the study of material development.

Why the need to incorporate this as part of the course?

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

materials. Therefore, it is mandatory that a guideline on how to develop class

appropriate material should be given to the teachers.

Issues in material development

• Do learners need a course book?

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

approach and removes initiative and power from teachers.

• Should materials be learning or acquisition focused?

Despite the theory of implicit acquisition of language from comprehensible input in

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

acquisition of communicative competence through communication activities such as

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

relative merits of conscious learning and subconscious acquisition continues with

some people advocating a strong focus on language experience through a task based

or text-based approach and some advocating experience plus language awareness

activities.

What to use as material

· Videos, CD-ROMs,

· DVDs, dictionaries,

· Grammar books,

· Readers,

· Workbooks,

· Photocopied exercises,

· All kinds of realia,

· Lectures and talks by guest speakers,

· Internet sources.

Materials can be divided into non-technical and technical media. Examples of non-

technical materials are:

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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

resources are scarce. They are also cheap and user-friendly.

Examples of technical materials are

· 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.

Advantages of choosing the right material:

• The teaching process is made easier and materials may be used to explain,

exemplify or practice the content presented to students.

• Materials can represent a source of motivation for students.

• Materials change the dynamics of the class routine through the possibility

of manipulating objects, accessing audiovisual material or promoting

interaction with others.

• Materials, if chosen adequately, can promote the integration of language

skills by addressing language and content in a holistic way.

• Materials can also help the teacher address the individual differences of

students.

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Influencing factors:

• The role of English in the country,

• The role of English in schools,

• The role of teachers, management and administration,

• The available resources,

• The support personnel,

• The number of pupils,

• The available time,

• The physical environment,

• The socio-cultural environment.

Three principles for developing materials: that applies to the needs, wants and

situations faced in diverse settings,

• Particularity: seeks to facilitate the advancement of a context-sensitive,

location specific pedagogy that is based on a true understanding of local

linguistic, social, cultural, and political particularities.

• Practicality: seeks to rupture the reified role relationship between

theorizers and practitioners by enabling and encouraging teachers to

theorize from their practice and to practice what they theorize.

• Possibility: seeks to tap the sociopolitical consciousness that students

bring with them to the classroom so that it can also function as a catalyst

for identity formation and social transformation.

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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

particularity principle is important in our materials, training as teachers need to know

the alternatives to their particular contexts, since they may be EFL teachers in rural

settings, underprivileged neighborhoods in urban areas or private schools with various

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

effective teaching conditions regardless of the availability of certain teaching materials.

Examples of a popular material

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

content and become an integral part of the curriculum.

In presenting the movies in the classroom, there may be different approaches:

• Sequential: In the sequential approach, the teacher can expose Scene-by-scene or

one segment of the movie at one time.

• The single-scene approach, as the name suggests, requires the teacher to use

only one particular scene for the language instruction.

• The selective method: involves the viewing of a few scenes chosen by the

teacher from one movie.

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• Whole-film: lastly, in the whole-film approach the teacher shows the movie in

full length.

Presenting movies in any of these approaches is possible; the decision to adopt a

particular approach depends mainly on the instructional objectives and the

characteristics of the students.

Advantages of using movies with closed captions

• Follow a plot easily and get involved in plot development.

• Learn to pronounce proper nouns in different disciplines.

• Acquire colloquial, context-bound expressions and slang.

• Process a text rapidly and improve rapid reading.

• Provide relaxing, stress-free learning environments where students can

comprehend jokes and have a few hearty laughs.

• Learn different strategies for processing information.

Advantages of movies without closed captions

• Enhance students’ listening strategies such as guessing meaning from context

and inferring strategies by visual clues, facial expressions, voice and sound track.

• Promote active viewing and listening for key words and main ideas.

• Motivate students to make use of authentic English material on their own.

• Provide students with the opportunity to experience a great sense of

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:

1. Students – their needs and learning objectives;

2. Teachers – their abilities, proficiency, and self-confidence;

3. Syllabus – the approach;

4. Methodology – its implementation;

5. Resources – their availability;

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

conform to the above variables. It is apparent that materials development is a process,

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-

technical materials. They must be acquainted with different possibilities to make

adequate choices in their classroom settings.

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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.

Selection and adaptation of textbooks

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

adapt textbooks is an important part of a teacher’s professional knowledge.

Advantages and limitations of textbooks

• They provide structure and a syllabus for a program. Without textbooks, a

program may have no central core and learners may receive a syllabus that has

been systematically planned and developed.

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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

tested in the same way.

• They maintain quality. If a well-developed textbook is used, students are

exposed to materials that have been tried and tested, that are based on sound

learning principles and, that are placed appropriately.

• They are efficient. They save the teacher’s time, enabling teachers to devote time

to teaching rather than material’s production.

• 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

able to generate accurate language input on their own.

• 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

However, there can be several limitations

They may distort the language. Textbooks often present an idealized view of the world

or fail to represent real issues. In order to make textbooks acceptable, controversial

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.

Before evaluating a textbook, certain issues need to be checked:

• The role of the textbook in the program

• Is there a well-developed curriculum which describes the objectives,

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

it one of several different books that will be used?

• Will this be used in small classes or in large ones?

• Will learners be expected to use workbooks as well or should the text

book provide all the practice students need?

• The teachers in the program

• 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?

• Do teachers participate in the selection of books that they teach from?

• Are teachers free to adapt and supplement the book?

• The learners in the program

• Is each student required to buy a book?

• What do learners typically expect?

• Will they use the book in class and at home?

• How will they use the book in class? Is it the primary source of classroom

activities?

• How much are they prepared to pay for a book?

Next, we will read about the criteria for textbook selection.

Criteria for textbook selection

• They should cater to the learners' needs and match the aims and objectives

of the language program.

• They should reflect the usage which learners will make of the language so

that they can learn effectively.

• They should have a clear role as a support for learning. Like teachers, they

mediate between the target language and the learning process.

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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

the questions that are asked?

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,

gender, social class, occupation, religion or cultural background.

• Adapting or deleting content.

• 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

speaking, therefore the unit on reading and writing has to be dropped.

• Eliminating the things, they already know, or aren’t ready for.

• Focusing on the type of activities that fit your objectives - e.g. dialogues, reading,

listening, writing or grammar activities.

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• Putting the activities in an order that take into account what you know about the

student’s previous English learning, and the student’s life view.

• Modifying tasks or reformats.

• Timing – how much time is spent on each activity?

• 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

“reading” activity followed by discussion and conversation.

• Exercises and activities may need to be modified to give them an 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

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

a better teaching resource as well as individualizes it for a particular group of learners.

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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

them to cater to the immediate situation. It is useful, therefore, to collect information on

how teachers use course books and other teaching materials in their teaching.

The information collected can serve the following purposes.

• To document effective ways of using material;

• To provide feedback on how materials work;

• To keep a record of additions, deletions and supplementary materials that

teachers may have used;

• To assist other teachers in using the materials.

Monitoring may take the following forms:

Observation:

Classroom visits to see how teachers use the textbook and to find the quality of

influence the book has on the learners.

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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