ADVICE, PRINCIPLES, and MODELS

Prepared by:Ms. Rimsky Nikolai S. Gervacio

Ms. Georgina Kusano

Anyone writing for other teachers would do well to heed the advice of Methold (1972), whose suggestions are based on years of experience as a publisher in Asia.

“Many materials fail not because they are bad in themselves, but because they are bad in the situation in which they are used.”

In other words, they fail to take local needs or conditions into account.

According to Methold, good materials will have the following characteristics:

1. Set out to teach a predetermined body of knowledge. E.g. what is contained in a syllabus.

2. Be divided into teachable segments

(i.e. take account of both time constraints & the quantity of material that can be included in a particular lesson.)

3. Take into account such principles as variety, weighting, the content validity of exercises, & the need for recycling.

4. Take into account local conditions.

Teachers writing a course that they will teach to their own students will of course take local realities into account; the more distant one is from the reality of the classroom in which the materials will be used, the more important it is to inform oneself about the context and the eventual users.

It is to be expected that experienced writers will also have a few words of wisdom, at least, to offer the less experienced.Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 26), for instance, advise:

• Use existing materials as sources of ideas

• Work with other people if possible

•Don’t expect to write materials that are perfect the first time

Don’t underestimate the time needed

Pay attention to the appearance of the materials

Principles are more valuable than advice, and Tomlinson (1998c) has proposed an extensive set of principles, each of which is discussed in some detail.

1. Materials should achieve impact.

2. Materials should help the 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.6. Learners must be ready to acquire the points being taught

7. Materials should expose the learners to language in authentic use.

8. The learner’s attention should be drawn to linguistic features of the input.

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

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

11. Materials should take into account that learners differ in learning style.

12. Materials should take into account that learners differ in affective attitudes.

13. Materials should permit a silent period at the beginning of instruction

14. Materials should examine learning potential by encouraging intellectual, aesthetic, & emotional involvement which stimulates both right and left brain activity.

15. Materials should not rely too much on controlled practice.

16. Materials should provide opportunities for outcome feedback.

For novice writers, principles are

probably most valuable whey they

are illustrated with examples which

indicate how the principles can be

translated into practice.

Tomlinson’s approach is to indicate

how the principles could be applied;

Nunan (1988b:1) shows how the following principles were realised in a particular set of materials.

1. Materials should be clearly linked to the curriculum they serve.

2. Materials should be authentic in terms of text and task.

3. Materials should stimulate interaction.

4. Materials should allow learners to focus on formal aspects of the language.

5. Materials should encourage learners develop learning skills and skills in learning.

6. Materials should encourage learners

to apply their developing language

skills to the world beyond the

classroom.

The materials:

•Can be exploited in a variety of ways;

* Reflect the outside world;

The materials:

* Foster independent learning by making students more aware of learning process;

The materials:

•Are suitable for different levels of individual proficiency and preferred learning styles;

The materials:

* Can act as a model for the development of teachers’ own variations on these materials;

The materials:

•Reflect the socio-cultural context within they will be used.

The materials:

Materials should:

•Act as stimulus to learning

•Help to organize the teaching-learning process;

Materials should:

Materials should:

•Embody a view of the nature of teaching and learning;

Materials should:

•Reflect the nature of the learning task.;

•Provide models of correct and appropriate language use.

Materials should

Hutchinson and Waters’ (1987)

Materials development modelinput

content language

taskStudent’s own knowledge and

abilitiesproject

Additional input