Teaching materials are a key component in mot language programs whether the teacher uses a
textbook, institutionally prepared materials, or his or her own materials, instructional materials
generally serve as the basis for much of the language input learners receive and the language
practice that occurs in the classroom.
Dudley Evans and St. John (1998, 170 – 171) suggest that for teachers of ESP courses,
materials serve the following:
• as a source of language
• as a learning support
• for motivation and stimulation
• for reference
ESP materials may therefore seek up to provide exposure to the specialized genres and registers
of ESP, to support learning through stimulating cognitive processes and providing a structure
and progressions for learners to follow, to motivate learners through providing
achievable challenges and interesting content, and to provide a resource for self-study outside
of the classroom.
Some teachers use instructional materials as their primary teaching resource. The materials
provide the basis for the content of lessons, the balance of skills taught, and the kinds of
language practice students take part in. in other situation, materials serve primarily to
supplement the teacher’s instruction. For learners, materials may provide the major source of
contact they have with the language apart from the teacher. Hence the role and uses of
materials in a language program are a significant aspect of language curriculum development.
Advantages:
Students are exposed to real discourse, as in videos of interviews with famous people
where intermediate students listen for gist.
Authentic materials keep students informed about what is happening in the world, so
they have an intrinsic educational value. As teachers, we are educators working within
the school system, so education and general development are part of our
responsibilities (Sanderson, 1999).
The same piece of material can be used under different circumstances if the task is
different.
Language change is reflected in the materials so that students and teachers can keep
abreast of such changes.
Reading texts are ideal to teach/practise mini-skills such as scanning, e.g. students are
given a news article and asked to look for specific information (amounts, percentages,
etc.) . The teacher can have students practice some of the micro-skills mentioned by
Richards (1983), e.g. basic students listen to news reports and they are asked to
identify the names of countries, famous people, etc. (ability to detect key words).
Books, articles, newspapers, and so on contain a wide variety of text types, language
styles not easily found in conventional teaching materials.
They can encourage reading for pleasure because they are likely to contain topics of
interest to learners, especially if students are given the chance to have a say about the
topics or kinds of authentic materials to be used in class.
The disadvantages:
They may be too culturally biased, so unnecessarily difficult to understand outside the
language community.
Too many structures are mixed so lower levels have a hard time decoding the texts.
By considering the advantages and critics that mentioned above, teacher can combine the
authentic materials and created materials in teaching process to enhance student abilities.
2. Textbooks
Commercial textbooks together with ancillaries such as workbooks, cassettes, and teachers’
guide are perhaps the commonest form of teaching materials in language teaching.
Textbooks are used in different ways in language programs.
a. Reading textbook
It might be the basis for a course on reading skills which provides both a set of reading texts
and exercises for skills practice
b. Writing textbook
Which provides model compositions and a list of topics for students to write about
c. Grammar textbook
It serves as a reference book and examples as well as exercises to develop grammatical
knowledge
d. Speaking textbook
It provides passages for students to read and discuss
e. Listening textbook
It provides listening text together with audiocassettes or CDs might serve as the primary
listening input in a listening course
The advantages of textbook are :
- They provide structure and a syllabus for a program
Without textbooks a program may have no central core and learners may not receive a syllabus
that has been systematically planned and developed
- They help 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 paced appropriately
- They provide a variety of learning resources
Textbooks are often accompanied by workbook, CDs and cassettes, videos, CD-ROMs, and
comprehensive teaching guides, providing a rich and varied resource for teachers and learners
- They are efficient
They save teachers’ time, enabling teachers to devote time to teaching rather than materials
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 textbooks together with the teacher’s manual
can serve as a medium of initial teacher training
- They are visually appealing
Commercial textbooks usually have high standards of design and production and hence are
appealing to learners and teachers
There are more and more textbooks have made in the market. Choosing the right textbook is
becoming more and more important at all levels. Although most classroom teachers will not
be involved in the production of textbooks but all teachers have the responsibility for
textbook evaluation, selection and adaptation.
Evaluation can only be done by considering something in relation to its purpose. A book can
be ideal in one situation because it suitable with the needs. The same book can be unsuitable
with the needs in a different situation. Before one can evaluated a textbook, therefore,
information is needed on the following issues:
Is there a well-developed curriculum that describe the objectives syllabus and content
of the program or will this be determined by the textbook?
Will the book or textbook series provide the core of the program, or is it one of
several different books that will be used?
Will it be used with small classes or large ones?
Will learners be expected to buy a workbook as well or should the textbook provide
all the practice students need?
How experienced are the teachers in the program and what is their level of training?
Are they native speakers of English? If not, how well do they speak English?
Do teachers tend to follow the textbook closely or do they use the book simply as a
resource?
Do teachers play a part in selecting the books they teach from?
Are teachers free to adapt and supplement the book?
There are two factors are involved in the development of commercial textbooks: those
representing the interests of the author, and those representing the interests of the publisher
(Byrd 1995; Werner, et al. 1995). The author hope that the book will success and make a
financial profit. The publisher is primarily motivated by financial success.
Cunningsworth (1995) proposes four criteria for evaluating textbooks, particularly course
books:
1. They should correspond to learners’ needs. They should match the aims and objective
of the language learning program.
2. They should reflect the uses (present or future) that learners will make of the
language. Textbooks should be chosen that will help equip students to use language
effectively for their own purpose.
3. They should take account of students’ needs as learners and should facilitate their
learning processes, without dogmatically imposing a rigid “method”.
4. They should have a clear role as a support for learning. Like teachers, they mediate
between the target language and the learner.
Cunningsworth (1995) present a checklist for textbook evaluation and selection organized
under the following categories:
Topic
o Is there sufficient material of genuine interest to learners?
o Is there enough variety and range of topic?
o Will the topic expand students’ awareness and enrich their experience?
o Are the topics sophisticated enough in content, yet within the learners’
language level?
o Will your students be able to relate to the social and cultural contexts
presented in the course book?
o Are women portrayed and represented equally with men?
o Are other group represented, with reference to ethnic origin, occupation,
disability, etc.?
o Methodology
What approach/approaches to language learning are taken by the
course book? Is this appropriate to the learning/teaching situation?
What level of active learner involvement can be expected? Does this
match your students’ learning styles and expectations?
What techniques are used for presenting/practicing new language
items? Are they suitable for young learners?
How are the different skill taught?
How are communicative abilities developed?
Does the material include any advice/help to students on study skills
and learning strategies?
Are students expected to take a degree of responsibility for their own
learning (e.g. by setting their own individual learning targets)?
Teacher’s books
Is there adequate guidance for the teacher who will be using the
course book and its supporting materials?
Are the teachers’ books comprehensive and supportive?
Do they adequately cover teaching techniques, language items
such as grammar rules and culture-specific information?
Do the writer set out and justify the basis premises and
principle underlying the material?
Are keys to exercises given?
Practical considerations
What does the whole package cost? Does this represent
good value for money?
Are the book strong and long lasting? Are they
attractive in appearance?
Are they easy to obtain? Can further supplies be
obtained at short notice?
Do any parts of the package require particular
equipment, such as a language laboratory, listening
centre, or video player? If so, do you have the
equipment available for use and is it reliable?
In addition, there are some factors involved in textbook evaluation and selection:
Program factors
Teacher factors
Learner factors
Content factors
Pedagogical factors
5. Adapting textbooks
Most teachers are not creators of teaching materials but providers of good materials. Dudley-
Evans and St. John (1998, 173) suggest that a good provider of materials will be able to :
a. Select appropriately from what is available
b. Be creative with what is available
c. Modify activities to suit learners’ needs
d. Supplement by providing extra activities (and extra input)
Commercial textbooks can seldom be sued without some form of adaptation to make more
suitable for the particular context6 in which they will be used. This adaptation may take a
variety of forms.
• Modifying content
Content may need to be changed because it does not suit the target learners, perhaps because
of factors related to the learners’ age, gender, social class, occupation, religion or cultural
background
• Adding or deleting content
The book may contain too much or too little for the program whole unites may have to be
dropped, or perhaps section of unites throughout the book omitted . for example, a course
may focus primarily on listening and speaking skills and hence writing activities in the book
will be omitted
• Reorganizing content
A teacher may decide to reorganize the syllabus of the book, and arrange the units in what
she considers a more suitable order.
• Addressing omissions
The text may omit items that the teacher feels are important. For example a teacher may add
vocabulary activities or grammar activities to a unit.
• Modifying tasks
Exercises and activities may need to be changed to give them an additional focus. For
examples, a listening activity may focus only on listening for information, so it is adapted so
that students listen a second or third time for a different purpose
• Extending tasks
Exercises may contain insufficient practice and additional practice tasks may need to be added
The first level is macro adaptation, which is ideally done before the language program
begins. After comparing what is covered in a textbook and what is required by the
syllabus or examination, the teacher may find that certain areas or even whole units of
the book can b e omitted, and certain contents need to be supplemented. Macro
adaptation is very important because it helps the teacher to avoid waste if time and
every of the teacher and the students as well. It also helps the teacher t see in advance
what he or she needs to supplement so that he or she can keep an eye on materials that
could be used.
The second level of adaptation is adapting a unit. This could be reordering the
activities, combining activities, omitting activities, rewriting or supplementing
exercise material, etc. Unit adaptation helps to make the classroom teaching more
smooth and cohesive. It also helps the teacher to better fulfill the aims of a unit.
The third level is adaptation of specific activities in a unit. Occasionally an activity I
regarded as valuable, but it is not well-designed or it is not feasible in particular class.
If the teacher does not want to give up the activity, he or she needs to adapt it.
Advantages
Advantages of building a materials development component into a program include:
• Relevance :
Materials can be produced that are directly relevant to students’ and institutional
needs and that reflect local content, issues, and concerns.
• Develop expertise :
Developing materials can help develop expertise among staff, giving them a greater
understanding of the characteristics of effective materials
• Reputation :
Institutionally developed materials may enhance the reputation of the institution
demonstrating its commitment to providing materials developed specifically for it its students
• Flexibility :
Materials produced within the institution can be revised on adapted as needed, giving
them greater flexibility than a commercial course book
Disadvantages
Disadvantages also need to be considered before embarking on materials
Development
• Cost :
Quality materials take time to produce and adequate staff time as well as resources
need to be allocated to such a project
• Quality :
Teacher-made materials will not normally have the same standard of design and
production as commercial materials and hence may not present the same image
as commercial materials
• Training :
To prepare teachers for materials writing projects, adequate training should
be provided. Materials writing is a specialized skill and potential materials writer
Shulman in Richard goes on to describe the transformation phase of this process as consisting
of:
Good materials do many of the things that a teacher would normally do as part of his or her
teaching. They should (Rowntree 1997, 92):
The list identifies the qualities each unit in the materials should reflect:
Gives learners something they can take away from the lesson
Teaches something learners feel they can use
Gives learners a sense of achievement
Practice learning items in an interesting and novel way
Provides a pleasurable learning experience
Provides opportunities for success
Provide opportunities for individual practice
Provide opportunities for personalization
Provides opportunities for self-assessment of learning
Conclusion
In this unit we have briefly talked about the role and design of instructional materials in a
language program, at this point, comes to the conclusion:
Firstly, teachers have to understand the role, design and the use of materials in language
teaching. Teacher uses a textbook, institutionally prepared material or his/her own materials
as material resources in teaching process based on students’ needs, syllabus and curriculum.
Secondly, teachers need to have the authority to evaluate, adapt, and create textbooks and
have to have the initiative to evaluate, adapt, develop and monitor textbooks.
Thirdly, teachers need to know how to evaluate, adapt, develop and monitor textbooks.