Designing
English Language Teaching Materials
According to
Jocelyn Howard and Jae Major, there are many reasons why teachers may choose to
produce their own teaching materials. One reason
is contextualization. Adapting the teaching materials is paramount
when the topics that the coursebook presents do not fit with students'
interests. By modifying some activities and adding new ones, students may feel
motivated to learn and eager to work in the task. Another reason is that
of individual needs. Teachers should take into account learners'
first language and culture, their learning needs and their previous
experiences. Sometimes coursebooks do not give students the opportunity to
learn the foreign language by building on students' first language skills and
previous experiences. Consequently, students feel that learning another
language is something completely alien to them and their lives. For this not to
happen, teachers should offer students the chance to relate what they learn in
English to their own experiences and knowledge. In this way, students will
acquire the content they are expected to learn in a more significant way. Last
but not least, personalisation. Block (1991) suggests that designing
teaching materials would add a personal touch to teaching that learners would
value immensely. Although designing it may sound a bit time consuming and
challenging, it does save time since once created, teachers can use the same
material again and again with different groups and students.
If you want to
read Jocelyn Howard and
Jae Majorthe's whole article, follow this link:
