language learning materials development

Language Learning Materials Development

Nur Laely Basir

Material(s) (Brian Tomlinson)

The matters or substances from which something can be made

(s) Tools or apparatus for the performance of a given task

Having a logical connection with a subject matter or the consequential events or facts, or the knowledge of which would significantly affect a decision or course of action

Authentic vs Artificial Materials

AUTHENTIC MATERIALS

Any materials which is not designed for learning and teaching purposes

Magazines, newspaper, TV broadcasts, recorded real telephone conversation, and the like

ARTIFICIAL/ARTIFACT MATERIALS

Any materials which are designed and intended for learning and teaching purposes

Textbooks, CDs for listening, and the like

Language Learning Materials

anything which is used by teachers or learners to facilitate the learning of a language

anything which is deliberately used to increase the learners’ knowledge and/or experience of the language

Materials Development

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

Materials Evaluation

Any attempts to measure the value of materials

For materials to be valuable, the learning points should be potentially useful to the learners and that the learning procedures should maximize the likelihood of the learners actually learning what they want and need to learn

It is not necessarily enough that the learners enjoy and value the materials

Language Teaching and Learning

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)

Kinds of Language Learning and Content

KINDSExplicit Learning: learners are aware

of when and what they are learning Implicit Learning: learners are not

aware of when and what they are learning

CONTENTDeclarative knowledge: knowledge

about the language systemProcedural knowledge: knowledge of

how the language is used

Basic Principles of SLA in LLM (1/4)

Materials should achieve impact noticeable effect on learners: curiosity, interest and attention are attracted. Impact can be achieved through: novelty, variety, attractive presentation and appealing content.

Materials should help learners to feel at ease

Materials should help learners to develop confidence

What is being taught should be perceived by learners as relevant and useful


Materials should require and facilitate learner self-investment

Learners must be ready to acquire the points being taught

Materials should expose the learners to language in authentic use

The learners’ attention should be drawn to linguistic features of the input


Materials should provide the learners with opportunities to use the target language to achieve communicative purposes

Materials should take into account that the positive effects of instruction are usually delayed

Materials should take into account that learners differ in learning styles

Materials should take into account that learners differ in affective attitudes


Materials should permit a silent period at the beginning of instruction

Materials should maximize learning potential by encouraging intellectual, aesthetic and emotional involvement which stimulates both right and left brain activities

Materials should not rely too much on controlled practice

Materials should provide opportunities for outcome feedback

Materials (James D. Brown)

any systematic description of the techniques and exercises to be used in class room 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 mini mum of preparation time

Framework

Adopting

Adapting

Developing

Adopting (in a rational manner)

• It is necessary to decide what types of materials are desirable: books, CD etc

• All available materials of these types should be located just in case they might prove useful: short list of candidates for materials that might be adopted – ask for a desk copy from publishers

Adopting (in a rational manner)

• Some form of review/evaluation procedures must be set up to pare this list down to only those materials that should be seriously considered so that final choices can be made: material evaluation

• Some strategy for the regular review of these adopted materials must be set up to make sure that they do not become irrele vant to the needs of the students and the changing conditions in the program: ongoing evaluation

Checklist for Adopting Textbooks

Materials

Background

Author’s credentials/records education and experience

Publisher’s reputation quality


Fit to Curriculum

Approach assumptions and theories Syllabus KI/KD Needs

General language needs proficiency and students

Situational needs availability and cultural appropriateness

Goals and objectives Percentage of match degree of appropriateness Order degree of order (appropriate

order/organization) Content

Consistent with techniques used in the program degree of acceptance

Consistent with exercises used in the program degree of acceptance


Physical Characteristics

Layout Space white-spaces Pictures and text qualities and

quantities Highlighting effectiveness

Organization existence and quality Table of contents Index Answer key Glossary Reference potential


Physical Characteristics

Editorial qualities accuracy, consistency, clarity and practicality Content is accurate and edited in a

manner consistent with your style Directions are clear and easy to

follow Examples are clear

Material quality Paper Binding Tear-out pages


Logistical Characteristics

PriceAuxiliary parts

Audiovisual aids Workbooks Software Unit tests

Availability


Teachability

Teachers edition Answer key Annotations to help teachers explain, plan activities and the like

ReviewsAcceptability among

teachers

Developing

• Developing materials can be done only if all efforts to adopt materials for pur poses of teaching those objectives fail to uncover suitable materials.

• We need to pay attention to needs assessment, goals and objectives, and tests which describe a program.

Developing

• Materials can be devel oped that will create the best possible match between materials and the curriculum in question.

• Pay attention to Approach, Types of Syllabus, Techniques, and Tasks

Types of Syllabus (1/2)

Structural (organized around grammatical structures)

Situational (organized around various settings in which the learners are likely to use the language, such as at the bank, at the supermar ket, at a restaurant, and so forth)

Topical (organized around themes or topics, such as health, food, clothing, and so forth)

Functional (organized around communicative functions, such as identifying, reporting, correcting, describing, and so forth)

Types of Syllabus (2/2)

Notional (organized around conceptual categories, such as duration, quantity, location, and so forth)

Skills (organized around skills, such as listening for gist, listening for specific information, listening for inferences, and so forth)

Task- or activity-based (organized around activities, such as drawing maps, following directions, following instructions, and so forth)

Unit Analysis (1/2)

The situations in which the foreign language will be used, including the topics that will be dealt with

The language activities in which the learner will engage

The language functions that the learner will fulfill

What the learner will be able to do with respect to each topic

Unit Analysis (2/2)

The general notions that the learner will be able to handle

The specific (topic-related) notions that the learner will be able to handle

The language forms that the learner will be able to use when the course is completed

The degree of skill with which the learner will be able to perform.

Adapting

• Find and evaluate materials that might serve at least some of the students' needs and help to meet at least some of the course objectives

• Fill in the gaps that have been identified

Adapting Materials for Language Teaching

Finding and Evalua

ting

refer to the checklist in adopting materials


Analyzing

Matches to current objectives Mismatches to current

objectives Percent of objectives that

need to be supplemented from outside these materials

Percent of existing matches that will require revision

Decide which set(s) of materials to adapt


Classifying

Use any logical classes of objectives to help you group them for analysis

List places in materials where each objectives is addressed

Leave blanks where supplemental materials are needed


Filling-in

the Gap

s

From other materials

From created materials

Teacher as resources

Resource file


Reorganizing

Complete the list

Reorganize

language learning materials development

Education

authentic materials

taught materials

usuallydelayed materials

available materials

sound materials

ease materials

onlythose materials

learning styles materials