Workshop Session: "The Matter of Selecting Material"

Patricia Quintero, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana & arlos !ico Troncoso, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana

"#stract:
$ne of the %ain concerns for olo%#ian teachers has to do &ith the criteria for selecting and adapting %aterials for specific learning situations, since one of their duties is %aking decisions a#out the %ost proper %aterials to #e used along the courses' When the( have to face this responsi#ilit(, teachers select this i%portant aspect of the teaching and learning process under the influence of editor)s pressure as &ell as the lack of kno&ledge of the t(pe of s(lla#us the( are follo&ing, the activities related to it and the co%%unicative a#ilities to #e taught according to such a s(lla#us' That is &h( this &orkshop &ill consider the ele%ents taken into account, &hen choosing te*t#ooks, readers, tapes, posters and so on' The %ethodolog( &ill consist of three %ain parts: in the first one, participants &ill #e asked a#out the criteria the( alread( use in order to select %aterial' Secondl(, the presenters &ill share &ith the audience a chart to categorise the target criteria' +inall(, %aterials and situations &ill #e given to the audience, so participants select the #est %aterial depending on the criteria according to specific learning situations'

Session ontent:
Theoretical Issues There are a fe& specific #ooks in the field of ,nglish language teaching &hich focus on %aterials selection and evaluation in detail, &hich %akes it difficult for teachers to deal &ith such an i%portant aspect' ,ven though there are so%e principles to guide teachers in the selection and evaluation of %aterials, it is i%portant to highlight that there is not an( ideal te*t#ook to teach ,nglish, therefore the teacher should adapt the %aterial to suit the particular learning situations' We should not #e looking for the perfect course#ook &hich %eets all our re-uire%ents, #ut rather for the #est possi#le fit #et&een &hat the course#ook offers and &hat &e as teachers and students need' . unnings&orth /012:13 unnings&orth clai%s that the learning4teaching situations are -uite different fro% one to another, since the( are affected #( social, cultural and ps(chological aspects such as age range, social status, cultural values, nationalit(, native language, geographical setting, learning st(les, interests and o#5ectives of the possi#le users' This is &h( no #ook can #e designed to satisf( the needs of specific groups' Therefore, it is up to the teacher to select the course#ook that #etter fits the target population, and adapt the %aterial in order to %ake it serve the purposes of the class' 6ere &e present so%e general principles that should #e taken into account &hen selecting and evaluating %aterials'

 !elate the teaching %aterials to (our ai%s and o#5ectives' Which %eans that the teacher should esta#lish the ai%s of the teaching progra%%e and then seek the %ost appropriate %aterials that can #e related to these o#5ectives' The teacher should have a ver( clear idea of &hat he e*pects to achieve having in %ind, as &e have said #efore, the particular audience he &ill address, #efore he starts looking for course#ooks' 6e, and not the course#ook, is the one &ho should deter%ine the o#5ectives of the course' 7e a&are of &hat language is for and select teaching %aterials that &ill help e-uip (our students to use language effectivel( for their o&n purposes' To do so, it is necessar( to #e conscious if the &a( the language is selected, graded, presented and practised %eets the purposes of the learner to use the language' 8eep (our students9 learning needs in %ind' :t is, take into consideration intellectual as &ell as e%otional students9 needs' onsider the relationship #et&een language, the learning process and the learner' "ll three are vital aspects of language leaching and it is essential that teaching %aterials should keep all three constantl( in vie& and never #eco%e so preoccupied &ith one that the others are lost sight of' . unnings&orth /012:;3 "ccording to unnings&orth, it is necessar( to keep a health( #alance #et&een the desired linguistic perfor%ance of the learner, a fle*i#le teaching4learning %ethod and the individual9s desires and feelings' The course#ook should clearl( address these three aspects presenting interesting, involving and useful activities, so the learner can assi%ilate ne& language ite%s' "s it &as said #efore, the perfect te*t#ook does not e*ist, #ut the #est #ook and %aterial availa#le for (ou and for (our students certainl( does' To this respect, (ou have to reflect upon ho& a %aterial should #e %ost profita#l( used in (our classroo% and ho& it should #e adapted' 6ere, &e provide (ou three #asic ideas for selecting %aterials: /' The %aterials should suit the needs, interests, and a#ilities of (our students <' The %aterial should suit (ou: the #est #ook in the &orld &on)t &ork in (our classroo% if (ou have good reasons for disliking it' =' The %aterials %ust %eet the needs of official pu#lic teaching s(lla#uses or e*a%inations' "ccording to >rant ./00?3, &hen choosing and evaluating an( %aterial4te*t#ook, (ou usuall( have to ask three -uestions: /' @oes it fitA <' :f it fits, ho& &ell does it fit, and ho& does it co%pare &ith others that also fitA =' @oes it still fitA This -uestion is relevant after (ou have had it for a ti%e The three -uestions %entioned a#ove i%plies three stages of choosing and evaluating %aterials and te*t#ooks: :nitial evaluation @etailed evaluation :nBuse evaluation

The %ain o#5ective of the initial evaluation is to filter out o#viousl( unsuita#le %aterials' >rant ./00?3 clai%s that C&e should tr( to avoid %aking 5udge%ents that are too hast(, particularl( if the te*t#ook appears to #e rather unusual in its for%at' We should resist an( perhaps natural tendencies to favour &hat see%s fa%iliarD' $ne &a( of finding out &hether the te*t#ook or the %aterial (ou used is good enough is to appl( the CATALYST test' The eight letters in the &ord "T"EFST represent the eight criteria #( &hich &e can decide &hether a te*t#ook4%aterial is suita#le for our classroo%' THE CATALYST TEST C GGG A GGG T GGG A GGG L GGG Y GGG S GGG T GGG o%%unicativeA "i%sA Teacha#ilit(A "vaila#le "ddBonsA EevelA Four i%pression Student interestA Tried and testedA

The words in the mnemonic represent the key questions we should ask ourselves'

COMMUNICATIVE? :s the te*t#ook co%%unicativeA Will the students #e a#le to use the language to co%%unicate as a result of using the #ookA AIMS? @oes it fit in &ith our ai%s and o#5ectivesA These %a( #e laid do&n #( authorities, or devised #( ourselves' TEACHABLE? @oes the course see% to #e teacha#leA @oes it see% reasona#l( eas( to use, &ell organised, eas( to find (our &a( aroundA AVAILABLE ADD-ONS? "re there an( useful CaddsBonDB additional %aterials such as teacher)s #ooks, tapes, &ork#ooks, etcA :f so, are the( availa#leA LEVEL? @oes the level see% a#out rightA YOUR IM RESSION? What is (our overall i%pression of the courseA STUDENT INTEREST? "re (ou students likel( to find the #ook interestingA TRIED AND TESTED? 6as the course #een tried and tested in real classroo%sA WhereA 7( &ho%A What &ere the resultsA 6o& do (ou kno&A

NOTE: "T"EFST)s -uestions are the ver( %ini%u% one should ask &hen looking at the %aterial for the firs ti%e' $nce &e have applied the "T"EFST test, and decide &hat the %aterial4te*t#ook &ill do, &e then have to decide ho& &ell it &ill do, and &hether it is %ore or less, suita#le than other %aterials or te*t#ooks are availa#le' Man( teachers do not pilot ne& %aterials, the( have 5ust relied on their o&n 5udge%ent' "t this %o%ent a -uestionnaire can #e of great assistance' This stage is na%ed as Detailed evaluation' 6ere (ou can find a threeBpart -uestionnaire designed to help (ou to decide &hat is the %aterial4te*t#ook (ou have to choose: @oes the %aterial or the course#ook suit (our studentsA @oes it suit the teacherA @oes it suit the s(lla#usA

These are the -uestionnaires' .source: GRANT, Neville' Making the Most of (our Te*t#ook' Eong%an 8e(s to Eanguage Teaching' Eong%an /00?3' $nce (ou have adopted the %aterial (ou need, it is necessar( to reBevaluate it constantl(' This stage is na%ed as in use-evaluation' The -uestion (ou have to consider at this %o%ent is &hether this &ork in the classroo%' ,valuation process per%its one can #e sure that the teacher is the %aster, and not the slave of the te*t#ook'

BIBLIO!RA HY Cu""i"#s$orth% Ala"& ,valuating and Selecting ,+E Teaching Materials' 6eine%ann' /012 !RANT% Ne'ille' Making the %ost of (our Te*t#ook' Teaching' Eong%an' /00? Eong%an 8e(s to Eanguage

CHOOSIN! A TE(TBOO)* +uestio""aire ,-art ./ DOES THE BOO) 0MATERIAL SUIT YOUR STUDENTS? /' :s it attractiveA >iven the average age of (our students, &ould the( en5o( using it A F,S <' :s it culturall( accepta#leA =' @oes it reflect &hat (ou kno& a#out (our students) needs and interestsA 2' :s it a#out the right level of difficult(A I' :s it a#out the right lengthA ;' "re the course)s ph(sical characteristics appropriateA J' "re there enough authentic %aterials, so that the students can see that the #ook is relevant to the real lifeA 1' @oes it achieve an accepta#le #alance #et&een kno&ledge a#out the language, and practice in using the languageA 0' @oes it achieve an accepta#le #alance #et&een the relevant language skills, and integrate the% so that &ork in one skill area helps the othersA /?' @oes the #ook contain enough co%%unicative activities to ena#le the students to use the language independentl(A Score: < points for ever( F,S ans&er' / point for ever( P"!TEF ans&er' ? for ever( H$ ans&er F,S F,S F,S F,S F,S

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CHOOSIN! A TE(TBOO)* +uestio""aire ,-art 1/ DOES THE BOO) 0MATERIAL SUIT THE TEACHER? /' :s (our overall i%pression of the contents and la(out of the course favoura#leA <' :s there a good, clear teacher)s guide &ith ans&ers and help on %ethods and additional activitiesA =' an one use the #ook in the classroo% &ithout constantl( having to turn to the teacher)s guideA 2' "re the reco%%ended %ethods and approaches suita#le for (ou, (our students and (our classroo%A I' "re the approaches easil( adapta#le if necessar(A ;' @oes using the course re-uire little or no ti%eBconsu%ing preparationA J' "re useful ancillar( %aterials such as tapes, &ork#ooks, and visuals providedA 1' :s there sufficient provision %ade for tests and revisionA 0' @oes the #ook use a CspiralD approach, so that the ite%s are regularl( revised and used again in different conte*tsA /?' :s the course appropriate for, and liked #(, colleaguesA Score: < points for ever( F,S ans&er' / point for ever( P"!TEF ans&er' ? for ever( H$ ans&er F,S P"!TEF H$

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CHOOSIN! A TE(TBOO)* +uestio""aire ,-art 2/ DOES THE BOO) 0MATERIAL SUIT THE SYLLABUS AND E(AMINATION?

/' 6as the #ook4%aterial #een reco%%ended or approved #( the authoritiesA <' @oes the #ook4%aterial follo& the official s(lla#us in a creative %annerA =' :s the course &ellBgraded, so that it gives &ellBstructured and s(ste%atic coverage of the languageA 2' :f it does %ore than the s(lla#us re-uires, is the result an i%prove%entA I' "re the activities, contents and %ethods used in the course &ell planned and e*ecutedA ;' 6as it #een prepared specificall( for the target e*a%inationA J' @o the course)s %ethods help the students prepare for the e*a%A 1' :s there a good #alance #et&een &hat the e*a%ination re-uires, and &hat the student needA 0' :s there enough e*a%ination practiceA 0' @oes the course contain useful hints on e*a%ination techni-ueA Score: < points for ever( F,S ans&er' / point for ever( P"!TEF ans&er' ? for ever( H$ ans&er

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