Designing effective English Language Teaching Material Design is crucial for engaging students and fostering comprehensive language acquisition. It goes beyond simply using textbooks, requiring thoughtful adaptation and creation of diverse resources. This article will explore the principles, types, and practical approaches to developing and selecting materials for the English classroom, offering a comprehensive overview for students and educators alike.
Why is English Language Teaching Material Design So Important?
Reliance on a single textbook can make learning tedious and may not cater to diverse student needs. BREWSTER AND ELLIS (2002) highlight several reasons for creating supplementary materials:
- Textbooks might lack sufficient practice on a specific point, especially if students are struggling.
- Some textbook materials might not be appropriate for a particular class's context or diversity.
- Teachers may wish to follow a methodology different from the one used in the textbook.
- Adding varied activities beyond the textbook's scope is fundamental for engagement.
Beyond these points, elaborating curricular materials helps foster communicative competence, as language acquisition primarily aims at proficiency in real-world communication. It also allows addressing diversity by incorporating topics that promote empathy and understanding, such as using books like "I am Jazz" for discussions on transgender individuals.
Furthermore, material design promotes cooperative learning and helps cultivate higher-order competences beyond rote tasks. It also serves to explore multiculturalism and foster intercultural understanding, for instance, by using texts like "The Sandwich Swap" by Queen Rania of Jordan. The LOMLOE 3/2020 emphasizes adapting education to contemporary society, integrating ICT resources, and recognizing today's students are different from previous generations.
Key Criteria for Developing English Language Resources
When developing teaching materials, several criteria are essential to ensure their effectiveness:
- Consider students' interests, preferences, and prior knowledge, while also extending beyond them.
- Tailor materials to students' proficiency levels and account for time and space constraints.
- Incorporate various modalities (visual, auditory, tactile) to support diverse tasks and activities.
- Ensure materials are visually appealing, using color, images, and innovative designs.
- Students should understand the educational purpose of materials, especially with ICT integration, ensuring they are not just for entertainment.
Crafting materials allows for adapting teaching to specific groups, fostering communicative and motivating lessons. Audiovisual resources can also facilitate subconscious learning. However, drawbacks exist; improper use can lead to a loss of classroom control or divert from intended learning objectives.
Effective Textbook Selection for English Classes
Textbooks remain a staple in most English classrooms, but choosing the right one requires careful consideration. Numerous publishing houses offer different series, making selection essential.
How to Choose the Best English Language Textbook
Teachers can use a rubric, such as the one suggested by the PDST (Professional Development Service for Teachers), which includes criteria like 'agreement with principles of Primary Curriculum,' 'alignment with whole-school planning decisions,' 'age-appropriate language level and readability,' and 'values.'
JEREMY HARMER, in "The Practice of English Language Teaching," proposes a three-stage procedure for a more personal approach:
- Select assessment areas: Identify key aspects like price, layout, design, or topics.
- State personal beliefs: Define your ideal for each area (e.g., topics should be varied, student-interest related, culturally diverse).
- Assess coursebooks: Use your statements to evaluate which textbook best meets your expectations.
This method ensures the chosen textbook aligns with your teaching style and your students' needs.
The Pros and Cons of Using Textbooks in English Language Learning
Authors like JEREMY HARMER, BREWSTER AND ELLIS, and IZABELLA HEARN discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using textbooks:
Advantages:
- Clear structure: Textbooks offer an organized way to cover all four language skills, providing a roadmap for both teachers and students.
- Teacher support: Many include extra materials like websites or teacher's guides, saving planning time.
- Motivation & autonomy: Attractive designs and interesting topics can motivate students and enable independent work.
- Home-school connection: They link classroom learning with activities students can do at home.
Drawbacks:
- Predictability: Their structured format can lead to predictable and potentially boring lessons.
- Reduced autonomy: Textbooks can limit teacher creativity and dictate content, pace, and activities.
- Irrelevant content: Topics might not always be interesting or culturally appropriate for all students.
IZABELLA HEARN, and BREWSTER AND ELLIS, recommend a balanced approach: using textbooks as a tool, not the sole center of teaching, enriching them with supplementary materials to cater to students' specific needs.
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Authentic vs. Adapted English Language Materials
Following HARMER (2000), we can distinguish between two main types of materials:
What are Authentic Materials for English Teaching?
Authentic materials are resources produced for purposes other than language teaching. They offer several benefits:
- Real language examples: They haven't been simplified, exposing students to genuine English.
- Motivation and achievement: Working with real English can motivate pupils and give a sense of accomplishment.
- Real-world connection: They bridge the gap between the classroom and everyday life.
Examples for primary education include stories, games, songs, rhymes, videos, maps, recordings, TV programs, photographs, timetables, leaflets, and newspapers. However, they can be challenging for younger learners due to complex language or unsuitable topics.
What are Adapted Materials in English Language Teaching?
Non-authentic or adapted materials are specifically designed for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction, meaning their language is selected or graded. Their utility lies in:
- Pedagogical suitability: They are adjusted to students' competence levels, making them easier to handle.
- Sense of success: Their accessibility motivates students to continue learning.
- Relevance: They connect directly to current language and topics being studied.
While adapted materials are effective for targeted learning, their main drawback is artificiality due to controlled language use. To address this, simulated authentic materials have emerged, appearing authentic but with controlled language, helping students develop skills for eventual use of truly authentic resources.
Student Participation in English Material Design
Involving students in material design fosters a sense of responsibility and boosts self-esteem. It encourages them to share creativity, knowledge, and skills, promoting cooperation. Students can participate in numerous ways:
- Bringing realia: Magazines, leaflets, maps, or letters from penfriends.
- Visual creation: Drawing pictures for flashcards, classroom decoration, or storybooks.
- Writing activities: Creating their own stories, songs, poems, or recipes.
- Game design: Designing board games, worksheets, crosswords, or word searches to develop writing skills.
- Audio recording: Recording their own voices to create auditory material.
Tools like Canva for infographics, Genially for presentations, Pixton for comics, and MindMeister for mind maps empower students to engage with digital competence, a key competence highlighted by RD 157/2022.
Conclusion: Mastering English Language Teaching Material Design
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