stine eng 1103

• Instructional materials (IMs) are classroom tools that contain instructions for learners and teachers, specifying the content to be learned, techniques of presentation, practice, and modes of teaching associated with those techniques
• IMs serve as the basis for much of the language input learners receive and the language practice that occurs in the classroom
• IMs are an important element within the curriculum and are often the most tangible and visible aspect of it
• IMs can provide a detailed specification of content, even in the absence of the syllabus
• IMs can define the goals of the syllabus, and the roles of the teachers and the learner within the instructional process
• Roles of Instructional Materials:

  • Resource for presentation materials
  • Source of activities for learner practice and communicative interaction
  • Reference source for learners on grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, etc.
  • Source of stimulation and ideas for classroom activities
  • Support for less experienced teachers in the language classroom
• Basic principles in materials development (Tomlinson, 1998):

  • Materials should achieve impact
  • 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
  • Materials should draw learners' attention to linguistic features of the input
• • Materials should provide opportunities to use the target language to achieve communicative competence
  • Materials should consider that the positive effects of instruction are usually delayed
  • Materials should consider that learners differ in learning styles and 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
  • Materials should not rely too much on controlled practice
  • Materials should provide opportunities for outcome feedback
• Benefits of Instructional Materials:

  Teachers:

  • Provide materials for presentation of new items for reinforcement, consolidation, and practice
  • Guide the teacher on methods and techniques in introducing lessons and exercises
  • Give teachers more opportunity to make the best use of their time and skills for teaching

  Students:

  • Concretize the syllabus
  • Provide opportunity for individual work in or outside the classroom
  • Follow a course of study with little help from teachers
• • Includes encyclopedia, dictionary, atlas, manuals, etc.

  7. Multimedia Instructional Materials:

  • Audio and visual materials accessible through various media like radio, television, and computer
  • Includes interactive courseware on various topics
• Types of Instructional Materials:

  1. Textbook:

  • Main reference for the entire course
  • Reflects the minimum learning competencies for specific levels
  • Contains readings, teaching points, drills, activities, and tasks for daily lessons

  2. Workbook/Skillbook:

  • Accompanies the textbook
  • Provides exercises and drills on specific skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing
  • Presents reinforcement and remedial activities to support lessons in the textbooks

  3. Teacher's Book/Teacher's Manual/Teacher's Guide:

  • Contains a detailed rationale for the textbook
• • Explains the scope and sequence for the lessons
  • Provides guidance in planning lessons from materials to suggested activities

  4. Worktext:

  • Combines features of textbooks and workbooks
  • Provides teaching points and reinforces them with drills and exercises

  5. Module and Self-Learning Kit (SLK):

  • More interactive than other written IMs
  • Develops independent study through self-paced instruction
  • Contains post-test, pre-test, lesson inputs, exercises, and drills for self-paced learning

  6. Reference Book:

  • Provides general information on various topics
• Factors affecting materials preparation:

  • The curriculum, syllabus, and learning competencies
  • Learners' learning styles, aptitudes, proficiency
  • Pedagogical principles held by teachers
  • Societal demands
• Contextual factors:

  • Learner factors: age, interests, level of proficiency in English, aptitude, mother tongue, academic and educational level, attitudes in learning, motivation, reasons for learning, preferred learning styles, and personality
  • Setting: role of English in the country and school, management and administration, available resources, support personnel, number of pupils, time available for the program, physical environment, socio-cultural environment, types of tests to be used, procedures for monitoring and evaluating
• Factors to consider in writing IMs (Instructional Materials):

  1. Understanding:

  • Match materials to learners' abilities and prior knowledge
  • Provide background lessons and check-up activities

  2. Structuring/Clarifying:

  • Organize material clearly
  • State directions, objectives, and main ideas clearly
  • Provide sufficient examples and define new terms

  3. Sequencing:

  • Arrange materials for continuous and cumulative learning
  • Sequencing methods: simple to complex, parts to whole, whole to parts, chronological arrangements

  4. Balancing:

  • Establish vertical and horizontal balance in materials
• • Use various techniques like comparing, contrasting, drawing inferences, and predicting
• • Vertical relationships build on previous content, horizontal relationships relate different subjects

  5. Explaining:

  • Integrate headings, terms, illustrations, and summary exercises with content
  • Ensure materials show relationships among topics for an in-depth view

  6. Pacing:

  • Present lessons at an appropriate volume and speed
  • Increase complexity as students age

  7. Reviewing:

  • Allow students to link new ideas to old concepts through review
  • Less proficient learners may need more review

  8. Elaborating:

  • Provide opportunities for students to transform information and apply new knowledge
• Principles in materials design (Nunan, 1988):

  • Materials should be clearly linked to the curriculum they serve
  • Curriculum cycle phases: Planning, Implementation, Evaluation
• Authentic versus created materials:

  • Authentic materials: not specially prepared for pedagogic purposes
  • Created materials: textbooks and specially developed resources
  • Advantages of authentic materials: motivate learners, provide cultural information, expose to real language, relate to learners' needs, support creative teaching
  • Critics of authentic materials: may contain difficult language, lack systematic coverage, time-consuming for teachers
• Design, development, and dissemination of materials:

  1. Design phase:

  • Review existing materials
  • Identify shortcomings
  • Establish conceptual framework

  2. Detailed writing of specification:

  • Goals, subject matter, techniques, format details

  3. Developmental phase:

  • Write experimental materials, evaluate internally, conduct controlled tryout

  4. Dissemination phase:

  • Extensive use of new IM, field evaluation
• Guidelines for developing materials:

  1. Needs assessment

  2. Development of curriculum grid

  3. Selection of themes

  4. Setting up objectives

  5. Selection and arrangement of content

  6. Titles and captions

  7. Script writing

  8. Illustrations

  9. Editing