THE ROLES OF MATERIALS IN THE LAGUAGE CLASSROOM: FINDING THE BALANCE

I. Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, 85 % of the students are able to:

a. Define instructional materials and their roles in language classroom

b. Identify the issues over preplanned teaching materials and the role of textbooks
c. Explain the use of textbooks
d. Explain the eight key assumptions of effective materials

Value the importance of instructional materials in a language classroom.

II. Subject Matter:

• Topic: The roles of Materials in the Language Classroom: Finding the Balance
• Language Skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing
• Materials: LCD Projector, Laptop, Word Strips, Chalkboard and chalk, sample textbooks
Time Allotment: 4 hours

III. Procedure:

A. Pre - Activities:

1. Prayer
2. Checking the attendance
3. Orderliness/Cleanliness of the classroom

B. Motivational Activity:

“WORDS MOVE IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS”

1. The teacher divides the class into two groups.

2. The teacher shall ask any representative form group one to come in front, representative from
group two shall be called after group one finishes their task.
3. The teacher shall provide strips of papers which contain several words or phrases that are
relevant to the topic instructional materials (e.g. chalkboard, textbook, instructional materials,
etc.)
4. Once the representative from each group picked a strip, his or her group mates shall guess picked
word or phrase.
Directions:

1. A word strip is picked (e.g. textbook), the representative should write on the chalkboard broken
lines that represents each missing letter of the “mystery word”.

For example:

Picked words: On the board:

TEXTBOOK ________

CHALKBOARD __________
2. The group of the representative should guess the mystery word by giving out letters. It should
be one letter at a time.
3. The group shall have 5 chances to guess meaning they will give at least 5 letters. If the group
fails to guess the mystery word after the 5 chances, the other group can now steal.
4. But, in the event the same group can guess the mystery word before the 5 chances another
representative from the group will pick another mystery word
5. The first group to score 5 points will be declared as winner and will receive one star each.

5. The teacher shall ask the winning group a question: “in your own perspective, what do you think
are the roles of materials in a language classroom?”
6. After the winning group had succeeded in answering the question the teacher shall ask the other
group another question: “are these materials suitable for language learning? Cite an example
material that will justify your answer.”
7. Each answer is good for one star.

C. Presentation of the lesson:

INTRODUCTION

What about meeting learner needs? How can a course

book meet the needs of a specific group of students?

The discussion is divided into two sections. The first looks at attitudes to teaching materials,
including textbooks, and explores two opposing points of view: the deficiency view and the difference
view. For some, commercial materials deskill teachers and rob them of their capacity to think
professionally and respond to their students. For others, the role of teaching materials is potentially more
positive. Such arguments and the proliferation of teaching materials suggest that the issue is not so much
whether teachers should use commercially prepared materials, but rather than restrictive. The second
part of this discussion explores eight key assumptions which the author believes should underpin
materials if they are to enhance the learning environment of the classroom.
 PREPLANNED TEACHING MATERIALS – HELPFUL SCAFFOLD OR DEBILITATING CRUTCH

Concern whether pre-planned materials can meet individual learner needs is part of the dilemma
teachers face in trying to implement learner-centered language programs in a group setting.

Two decades ago, O’ Neill (1982) queried the assumption that each group is so unique that its
needs cannot be met by materials designed for another group.

Textbooks nevertheless remain a contentious issue for many teachers and researchers. Littlejohn
(in Hutchinson & Torres, 1994, p. 316), for example, claims that textbooks ‘reduce the teacher’s role to
one of managing or overseeing preplanned events’. A similar negative – view emerged during a recent
discussion of the role of textbooks on the Internet (TESL-L [Teachers of English as a Second Language
List], City University of New York).A Canadian colleague suggested that there are cultural differences
in attitudes to textbooks and referred specifically to ‘the Australian prejudice’ against them. One reason
for this prejudice may well be that so many of the ESL books available are British or American and so
culturally removed form learners in Australia.

The discussion on TESL-L, however, confirmed that attitudes to textbooks re complex and
represent a mix of pedagogical and pragmatic factors and the different weightings given to these in
different contexts.

Not only do published materials make decisions which could be made by the teacher and/or the
students (Allwright, 1981), but they often exhibit other shortcomings. Some materials for example:

• Fail to present appropriate and realistic language models (Porter & Roberts, 1981; Nuna, 1989)
• Other propose subordinate learner roles (Auerbach & Burgess, 1985)
• Fail to contextualize language activities (Walz, 1989)
• Foster inadequate cultural understanding (Kramsch, 1987)
• Failure to address discourse competence (Kaplan & Knutson, 1993) or teach idioms (Mola,
1993)
• Lack of equity in gender representation (Graci, 1989)

There appear to be very little research, however, on the exact role of textbooks in the language
classroom. Allwright (1981) suggests that there are two key points:

• Deficiency view – sees the role of textbooks or published materials as being to

compensate for teachers deficiencies and ensure that the syllabus is covered using well
thought out exercises.
• Difference view – sees materials as carriers of decisions best made by someone other
than the teacher because of different in expertise.

Both the deficiency and different views challenge teacher’s professionalism and reduce them to
classroom managers, technicians, or implementers of other’s ideas.

EFFECTIVE TEACHING MATERIALS

Materials obviously reflect the writers’ views of language and learning, and teachers (and students) will
respond according to how well these match their own beliefs and expectations. If materials are to be a helpful
scaffold, these underlying principles need to be made explicit and an object of discussion for both students.
Eight key assumptions:

1. Language is functional and must be contextualized

2. Language development requires learner management in purposeful use of language
3. The language used should be realistic and authentic
4. Classroom materials will usually seek to include an audio visual component
5. In our modern, technologically complex worlds, second language learners need to develop the ability
to deal with written as well as spoken genres.
6. Effective teaching materials foster language autonomy
7. Materials need to be flexible enough to cater to individual and contextual differences
8. Learning need to engage learners both affectively and cognitively

D. During-activity: the 8 Ball Game

1. The teacher divides the class into eight groups

2. The teacher provides strips of papers to each group.
3. The strips should contain the eight key assumptions on effective materials
4. The teacher shall call for a representative from each of the group
5. The students shall form a horizontal line facing the whole and the teacher will give the first
person in the line a small plastic/foam ball.
6. The teacher and all of the students shall sing the “Teacher How are You Song” whenever the
song stops and whoever handles the ball when the song stops the team of that person will be the
one to explain and elaborate their assigned assumption.

E. Generalization:

• Students give their own realizations and understandings of the topic through an oral-
recitation. (Good for one [1] star)

F. Evaluation: Essay

In a one whole sheet yellow paper the students shall answer the following questions:

1. What is your stand on the use of textbooks in learning the language? (5 points)
2. Give at least three examples of the eight key assumptions on effective materials and explain each
of the examples. (5 points)
3. What is deficiency view and difference view? Compare. (10 points)