Materials development

(LANGUAGE LEARNING)
MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT
Hasan BİLOKCUOĞLU
Wednesday, January 7, 2015 prepared by Hasan BİLOKCUOĞLU

CONTENTS
 Introduction
 What is ‘Material’?
 What is ‘Materials Development’?
 Forms of Materials
 The Roles of Materials
 Authentic vs. Non-Authentic Materials
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Authentic Materials
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Textbooks
 Evaluating Texbooks
 Significant Considerations in Evaluating Textbooks
 Factors involved in the Development of Textbooks
 Criteria for Textbook Evaluation
 Adapting Textbooks and Significant Considerations
 The Nature Of Materials Development
 Preparing Materials for a program: adv&disadv.
 Final Words and Conclusion
 References
 A Short Video 2’22’’ (tips for selecting, adapting and using textbooks)

INTRODUCTION
M AT E R I A L ( S ) : P r o f . B r i a n To m l i n s o n
( 2 0 0 3 ) d e f i n e s t h a t :
 The matters or substances from which something can be
made
 Tools or apparatus for the performance of a given task
 Having a logical connection with a subject matter or the
consequential events or the knowledge of which would
significantly affect a decision or course of action

MATERIALS (JAMES D.
BROWN, 2007)
 any systematic description of the techniques and exercises
to be used in classroom teaching
 the key in developing sound materials is to ensure that
they are described and organized well enough so that
teachers can use them with no confusion and with a minimum
of preparation time

WHAT’S MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT ?
‘Materials development is both a field of study and a practical
undertaking.
As a field it studies the principles and procedures of the design,
implementation and evaluation of language teaching materials’
(Tomlinson
2001 : 66)

WHAT’S MATERIALS
DEVELOPMENT?
 anything done by materials developers or teachers to facilitate the learning
of the language (teaching)
 a conscious process which consists of the committing to memory of
information relevant to what is being learned (learning)
 anything which is done by writers, teachers or learners to provide sources of
language input and to exploit those sources in ways which maximize the
likelihood of intake
 the supplying of information about and/or experience of the language in
ways designed to promote language learning

INTRO. ( C O N T ’ E D )
Teaching materials are one of the most crucial components in most language
programs since
They generally serve as the basis for much of the lang. input learners
receive
They provide what should be learnt and practiced in a 4 walled
environment.
They may serve as a form of teaching training, particularly for the
inexperienced teachers.

FORMS OF MATERIALS

T H E R O L E S O F M AT E R I A L S A C C O R D I N G T O
C U N N I N G S W O RT H ( 1 9 9 5 )
 A source for presentation (spoken or written)
 A source of activities for learner practice and communicative
interaction
 A reference source for learners on grammar, vocab.,
pronunciation, and so on.
 A source of stimulation and ideas for classroom activities
 A source for syllabus
 A support for less experienced teachers who have not yet
gained confidence in teaching.

 Any materials which are not
designed for learning and
teaching purposes
 Magazines, newspaper, TV
broadcasts, recorded real
telephone conversation,
photographs, and the like
 Any materials which are
designed and intended for
learning and teaching
purposes
 Textbooks, CDs for
listening, and the like
Authenticmaterials Artificialmaterials

USEFULNESS OF
AUTHENTICITY
 They have a positive effect on learner motivation.
 They provide authentic cultural info about the TL.
 They provide exposure to real language
 They relate more closely to learners’ needs
 They support a more creative approach to teaching.
( Phillips&Shettlesworth, 1978; Clarke, 1989; Peacock, 1997)

USEFULNESS OF
AUTHENTICITY( C O N T ’ E D )
 Help prepare learners for the ‘real’ world of communication
 Guide learners towards the language they need for their particular
context
 Motivate learners to communicate, because they help make
communication ‘real’.
 Authentic texts are quick and easy to find

JAMES D. BROWN (2007)
‘’It takes energy and creativity to devise authentic contexts and
meaningful interaction, but with the help of a storehouse of teacher
resource materials, it can be done.”

CRITICS
 Artificial (created) materials can also be motivating.
 Authentic materials often contain difficult language.
 Artificial mat.s may be superior to authentic mat.s as they
are generally built around a graded syllabus.
 Authentic materials preperation is time consuming.

CRITICS ( C O N T ’ E D )
Authentic materials are reading texts that were written by native speakers and
published in contexts designed specifically for native-speaker consumption,
with no thought given to non-native accessibility. The topics, language, syntax,
structure, etc., are all pitched at a target audience of native speakers and
offered through media intended primarily for native speakers; thus, they are
mainly much more suitable for the highly advanced students only.
Authentic materials may contain culturally inappropriate content
Authentic reading texts are usually quite long, which usually leads
to demotivation.

ADVANTAGES OF TEXT
BOOKS
 They provide structure and a syllabus for a program.
 They help standardize instruction.
 They maintain quality.
 They provide a variety of resources.
 They are efficient.
 They can provide effective language models and input.
 They can train teachers.
 They are visually appealing

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
 They may contain inauthentic language.
 They may distort content.
 They may not reflect students ’ needs.
 They can deskill teachers
 They are expensive.

EVALUATING
TEXTBOOKS:SOME SIGNIFICANT
C ON SID ER ATION S
A book might be ideal in one paricular situation since it may perfectly match the
needs of that situation, like it may have just the right amount of material for the
program, it may be easy to teach, it may call for little preparation, or it may
equally cover all the skills and grammar points. Yet, it may not be quite suitable
in a different situation. For instance, it may contain too little material, it may not
be sufficiently challenging for both the teacher and the students, and the
grammar points may be insufficient. As for an example, see the grammar points
in Oxford Business English-Profile 1 and Oxford English for Careers series-
Nursing 1 !

BE FO RE E VA L UA T ING A T E X T BO OK, WE
SHO UL D C O NSIDE R T HE FO L L O WING
Q UE ST IO NS
 The role of the textbook in the program
A textbook mostly determines the syllabus and objectives
will it be employed with small or big classes?
will learners be expected to buy a workbook as well or should the
textbook provide all the practice students need?

B E F O R E E VA L U AT I N G A T E X T B O O K , W E S H O U L D
C O N S I D E R T H E F O L L O W I N G Q U E S T I O N S
( C O N T. ’ E D )
The teachers in the program
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?
Are teachers free to adapt and supplement the book?

B E F O R E E VA L U AT I N G A T E X T B O O K , W E S H O U L D
C O N S I D E R T H E F O L L O W I N G Q U E S T I O N S
( C O N T. ’ E D )
The learners in the program
Is each student required to buy a book?
What do learners typically expect in a
textbook?
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?

FAC TO R S I N V O LV E D I N T H E D E V E L O P M E N T O F
C O M M E R C I AL T E X T B O O K S
The books representing the interests of the author
The books representing the interests of the
publisher
(Byrd, 1995; Werner, et.al., 1995)

CRITERIA FOR TEXTBOOK
EVALUATION
According to Cunningsworth (1995) there are 4 criteria for evaluating textbooks
They should correspond to learners’ needs. They should match the aims and
objectives of the lang. program.
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
lang.effectively for their own purposes.
They should take account of students’ needs as learners and should facilitate
thier learning processes, without dogmatically imposing a rigid ‘method’
They should have a clear role as a support for learning.

CRITERIA FOR TEXTBOOK
EVALUATION( C O N T . ’ E D )
Furthermore, Dudly-Evans & St. John (1998) suggest that the following
questions should be asked when selecting ESP materials:
Will the materials stimulate and motivate?
To what extent does the material match the stated learning objectives
and your learning objectives?
To what extent will the materials support the learning process?

ADAPTING TEXTBOOKS
Dudly-Evans & St. John (1998) highlight that a good material provider
(teacher) needs to be able to:
select appropriately from what is available
be creative with what is available
modify activities to suit learners’ needs
supplement by providing extra activities ( and extra input)

SIGN IFIC A N T C ON SID ER ATION S IN
ADAPTING TEXTBOOKS
Modifiying content
Content may need to be changed because it may not suit the
target learners, perhaps because of factors related to the
learners’ age, gender, social class, occupation, religion, or
cultural background

S I G N I F I C AN T C O N S I D E R AT I O N S I N AD A P T I N G
T E X T B O O K S ( C O N T . ’ E D )
Adding or Deleting Content
The book may contain too much or too little
for the program. For example, a course may
focus primarily on listening and speaking
skills and hence writing activities in the
book will be omitted.

ADAPTING TEXTB OOK S ( C O N T . ’ E D )
Reorganasing Content
A teacher may decide to reorganise the
syllabus of the book, and arrange the units
in what s/he considers a more suitable
order, or within a unit s/he may decide not
to follow the sequence of activities in the
unit but to reorder them for a particular
reason.

ADAPTING TEXTB OOK S ( C O N T . ’ E D )
Addressing Omissions
The text may omit items that the teacher
feels they are important. For example, a
teacher may add vocab. activities or
grammar activities to a unit.

SIGNIFICANT CONSIDERATIONS IN
ADAPTING TEXTBOOKS( C O N T . ’ E D )
Modifiying Tasks
Exercises and activities may need to be
changed to give them an additional focus.
For axample, 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.

ADAPTING TEXTB OOK S( C O N T . ’ E D )
Extending Tasks
Exercises may contain insufficient practice
and additional tasks may need to be added.

T H E N AT U R E O F M AT E R I A L S D E V E L O P M E N T
The goal is to create materials that can serve as resources for
effective teaching. The writer starts with a learning goal in mind
and then seeks to create a set of activities that enable that goal to
be reached. Shulman (1987) describes the transformation phase
of this process as consists of:
(i) Preperation: crtitical interpretation and analysis of text;
structuring and segmentation, development of curricular repertoire,
and clarification of purposes

T H E N AT U R E O F M AT E R I AL S D E V E L O P M E N T
( C O N T. ’ E D )
(ii) Representation: use of representational repertoire that
includes analogies, metaphors, examples, explanations, and so
on.
(ii) Adapting and tailoring to student characteristics:
consideration of conceptions, preconceptions, misconceptions,
and difficulties; language, culture, and motivations; and social
class, gender, age, ability, aptitude, interests, self-concepts,
attention

PREPARING MATERIALS FOR A
PROGRAM
In cases where institutionally developed materials are being considered for a lang. program, both the adv.
and the dis adv. of setting up a materials development project need to be carefully considered at the outset.
ADVANTAGES : Advantages of building a materials development component into a
program include:
Relevence: Materials can be produced that are directly relevant to students’ and instutional
needs.
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 by
demonstrating its commitment to providing materials developed particularly for its students.
Flexibility: Materials produced within the institution can be revised or adapted as needed, giving
them a greater flexibility than a commercial coursebook.

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 commerical materials, hence
may not present the same image as commerical materials.
Training: To prepare teachers for materials writing projects,
adequate training should be provided.

ROWNTREE (1997)
Rowntree (1997) points out that good materials should:
arose the learners’ interests
remind them of earlier learning
tell them what they will be learning next
explain new learning content to them
relate these ideas to learners’ previous learning

ROWNTREE (1997) C O N T. ’ E D
get learners to think about new content
help them get feedback on their learning
encourage them to practice
enable them to check their progress
help them to do better

FINAL WORDS
To sum up, the ability to be able to adapt commercial
textbooks in these days is an essential skill for teachers to
develop. Through the process of adaptation, the teacher
personalise the text, making it a better teaching source, and
individualise it for a particular group of learners. Normally,
this process occurs gradually as the teacher becomes more
familiar with the book ( and when s/he becomes more
experienced in teaching)

CONLUSION
 A textbook is only as good as the teacher, and a textbook is just one tool, perhaps a very important tool, in
your teaching arsenal. Sometimes, teachers over rely on textbooks and do not consider other aids or other
materials for the classroom. Some teachers reject a textbook approach to learning because the textbook is
outdated or insufficiently covers a topic or subject area.
 As a teacher, you'll need to make many decisions, and one of those is how you want to use the textbook. As
good as they may appear on the surface, textbooks do have some limitations.
When thinking about how you want to use your textbooks, consider the following:
 Use the textbook as a resource for students, but not the only resource.
 Use a textbook as a guide, not a mandate, for instruction.
 Be free to modify, change, eliminate, or add to the material in the textbook.
 Supplement the textbook with lots of outside readings.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Should teachers see the instructional materials as their primary
teaching resource?
What roles do instructional materials play in your language
program?
Have you ever had any experience with using authentic
materials in teaching?
What do you think is an appropriate role for commercial
materials in a language program?

THANKS FOR BEARING WITH
ME 
...AND DO NOT DWELL ON THIS‘MATERIAL’ WORLD MUCH !

REFERENCES
A short video: ESL / EFL Teaching Tip: A Quick Idea about Using Textbooks. Available online at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ9XX51XhXM
Brown, H.D. (2007). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy, 3rd ed.
Bryd, P. (1995). Material writer’s guide. New York: Heinle and Heinle
Cunningsworth, A. (1995). Choosing your textbook. Oxford:Heinemann
Dudley-Evans, T., and M.St. John (1998). Developements in English for specific purposes. NewYork: Cambridge
University Press
Richards, J.C. (2001). Curriculum development in language teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Rowntree, D. (1990). The language teaching matrix. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Shulman, L. (1987). Knowledge and Teaching: Foundaions of the new reform. Harward Educational Review, 57 (1): 1-22
Tomlinson, B. (2003). Materials development in language teaching. London: Continuum
Werner, P., M. Church, M. Gill, K. Hyzer, M.Knezevic, A.Niedermeier, and B.Wegmann (1995). Working with publishers.
In Bryd, 1995, 173-214

A S H O R T V I D E O : E S L / E F L T E A C H I N G T I P : A Q U I C K I D E A
A B O U T U S I N G T E X T B O O K S
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Materials development

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