Teacher Training Course Materials & Resources

Supplementing Materials
Look at the teachers’ problems with coursebooks and discuss what solutions you
would suggest. There is one example.

Teachers’ problems with Solutions Strategies

the coursebook material (What could you do?) (How would you do it?)

Choose readings and listenings which match the level

of students.
1. The reading and D. Re-write the tasks to make them easier.
listening material in Change the level of the Ask more general questions.
the coursebook is too material.
difficult. F. Reduce texts by removing a difficult
paragraph or break recorded material into
‘chunks’ or sections.

Look for more interesting and motivating activities with

extra material

2. The coursebook has H. Use different interaction patterns. Cut up

the students doing the Add new exercises with tasks to make them matching tasks or
same things in each innovative activities ordering tasks.
unit.
J. Do the activities in a different order.
Students can cover sections of the book that
you don’t want them to look at.

3. The texts and tasks in Add new/longer texts to Create some more difficult tasks for the students.
the coursebook are complement the exercises. A. Write extra questions or add a paragraph
too short. Replace the texts and tasks of your own to a text.

Use material with native-speakers in the listening

activities, and for reading, use articles written by
speaker authors (real articles)
4. There is very little
authentic material for Add more activities. B. What about using songs as listening
listening and reading. material?

G. Use the internet to find interesting articles

for students to read.

Plan a new order for the units and create new content
5. The tasks in the Change the order of the according to the main aim.
coursebook are in the tasks.
same order in every Add new activities with J. Do the activities in a different order.
unit. extra practice. Students can cover sections of the book that
you don’t want them to look at.
Teacher Training Course Materials & Resources

Teachers’ problems with Solutions Strategies

the coursebook material (What could you do?) (How would you do it?)

Summarize the texts in order to make them shorter.

C. Cut up texts/provide multiple recordings

6. The texts and tasks in and do jigsaw reading/listening tasks, so
Change the length of the that students have less to read or listen to.
the coursebook are
texts.
too long.
F. Reduce texts by removing a difficult
paragraph or break recorded material into
‘chunks’ or sections.

For listening activities, use audios with people with

different accents and in more complex situations.

Use some audios for films or real situations.

7. The reading and
listening material in Replace the material with B. What about using songs as listening
the coursebook is too more difficult tasks. material?
easy.
I. Re-write the tasks to make them more
challenging. Learners need to read for more
detailed information or need to predict
answers before they read or listen

Include more speaking practice interactions (peer to

peer, peer-to whole class, in groups)
For writing, make students write about a certain topic,
8. There is little free Add more speaking
then make them discuss in groups, or in pairs or to
speaking and no the whole class.
practices and writing
writing practice in the
activities.
coursebook. E. Use productive skills materials from other
coursebooks or from the internet to provide
fluency practice.