Lecture 2:

Principles for Materials Development

Learning Outcomes:
1. To identify and understand the

principles underlying materials development? 2. To review existing SLA literature and identify relevant theories and principles that contribute to materials development 3. To review characteristics of Good Teaching Materials

The week that was

The roles of teaching materials:
ONeil (1982) one textbook for all (due to

common core) Candlin & Breen (1979) Materials be outcomes rather than just input. Prabhu (1989) Course materials (constraint) vs. source materials (support) Allwright (1981) Learner materials vs teaching materials Prabhu (1989) level of input (materials) & level of SS investment (schemata)

Implications?
Materials should be learner-centred Learners be given more

responsibility (investment in time and effort) What learners can learn from materials NOT what can be taught from the materials. Materials should facilitate NOT control T& L

Additional Notes

1. 2. 3.

Cunningsworth (1995:7) summarizes the role of materials (particularly course books) in language teaching as: A resource for presentation materials A source of activities for learner practice and communicative interaction A reference source for learners on grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, etc

4. A source for stimulation and ideas

for classroom activities 5. A syllabus (where they reflect learning objectives that have already been determined) 6. A support for less experienced teachers who have yet to gain in confidence.

Dudley-Evans & St. John (1998: 170-171)

Materials serve the following functions:

As a source of language
As a learning support

For motivation and stimulation

For reference

Lecture 2: Principles for Materials Development

Objectives: How to create quality teaching materials? Principles for materials development (underpinned by SLA theories & research) Characteristics of Good Teaching Materials

TASK
Is it necessary to create teaching

materials? Yes/No. Give two reasons why? How do you normally create your materials? Give two procedures. What are the factors that you take into considerations when creating materials for your learners? Name three. In your opinion, what are good learning materials? Name three

Creating quality teaching materials

Understand the nature of materials

development and processes involved . Dudley-Evans & St. John (1998:173) only a small proportion of good teachers are also good designers of course materials Preparing effective teaching materials is similar to the processes involved in planning and teaching a lesson

 Shulmans (1987:15) description of the

central acts of teaching applies to the processes of materials development; i.e. a process of transformation The key to understanding the knowledge base of teaching lies at the intersection of content and pedagogy, in the capacity of a teacher to transform the content knowledge he/she possesses into forms that are pedagogically powerful and yet adaptive to the variations in ability and background presented by students.

Processes involved in materials development

Preparation

critical interpretation and analysis of texts, syllabus, purposes Representation Representational repertoire such as examples, demontrations, explanations, analogies, etc Selection instructional repertoire modes of teaching, organizing, managing, & arranging Adapting and tailoring to student characteristics

Characteristics of Good materials

Rowntree, 1997,92: Good materials should 1. Arouse the learners interest 2. Remind them of earlier learning 3. Tell them what they will be learning next 4. Explain new learning content to them 5. Relate these ideas to learners previous learning 6. Get learners to think about new content

Cont 7. Encourage them to practice 8. Make sure they know what they are doing 9. Enable them to check their progress 10. Help them to do better

Tomlinsons characteristics
1. Materials should achieve impact

2. Materials should help learners feel at

ease 3. Materials should help learners develop confidence 4. What is being taught should be perceived by learners as relevant and useful 5. Materials should require and facilitate learner self-investment

Cont 1
6. Learners must be ready to acquire the

points being taught 7. Materials should expose the learners to language in authentic use 8. The learners attention should be drawn to linguistic features of the input 9. Materials should provide the learners with opportunities to use the TL to achive comm. Purposes

Cont 2
10. Materials should take into account that

the positive effects of instruction are usually delayed. 11. Materials should take into account that learners have different learning styles. 12. Materials should take into account that learners differ in affective attitudes. 13. Materials should permit a silent period at the beginning of instruction.

Cont 3
14. Materials should maximise learning potential

by encouraging intellectual, aesthetic, and emotional involvement that stimulates both right and left brain activities. 15. Materials should not rely too much on controlled practice. 16. Materials should provide opportunities for outcome feedback.

Richards (2001, 264) checklist Characteristics of good materials

1. Give learners something they can take 2. 3.

4.
5.

away from the lesson Teaches something learners feel they can use Gives learners a sense of achievement Practices learning items in an interesting and novel way Provides a pleasurable learning experience

Cont
7. Provides opportunities for individual

practice 8. Provides opportunities for personalization 9. Provides opportunities for selfassessment of learning.

Assessment of materials designed

Use Richards criteria as a checklist

Assess the extent to which these principles

were reflected Achieving these goals through the design of instructional materials depends on the art, experience, skills, and craft of the materials developer.

Next week (Tutorial 2)

Article review Kitao & Kitaos (1997) Selecting

and Developing Teaching/Learning Materials. Go to this Url: http://iteslj.org/Articles/KitaoMaterials.html and download the article Read Tutorial Task 2 as attached in the LMS Post your discussion to FORUM after you have come to a consensus with your group members. Add your response to the strand Ive created, titled Article Review Kitaos (1997). Each group should have between 4-5 members.