STATE OF ART IN MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT

STATE OF ART IN MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT

1. Materials Development "A good teacher is constantly adapting materials" (Swales 1980)

   • Defined as processes made and used by practitioners who produce and use materials for language learning
     • That includes
       • -Materials, Adaptation, Exploitation, Evaluation, Design, Production and Research
         • With the purpose of FACILITATING LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

2. MATERIALS EVALUATION

   • The evaluation criteria is for a specific context and cannot be transfered to other one without modifications
     • Evaluation may start
       • -From a specification
         • -Determining criteria relevant to the target learner
           • -Fitting between textbooks and the curriculum, students and teachers
     • Evaluation may be
       • Tasting, attractive, current and ordered language, adequately and foolproof
   • Developed in two different settings
     • Local criteria
       • Specify the context which materials are going to be used
     • Universal criteria
       • Those that can be used to evaluate materials for any learner, everywhere
   • Can be reported in 4 steps:
     • 1. Piloting
       • 2. Cost
         • 3. Effective
           • 4. Time saving methods

3. MATERIALS ADAPTATION

   • Good teachers modify materials according to the context where they are.
     • Considering some objectives such as:
       • -Adding real choice
         • -Catering for all learners styles
           • -Providing for the learner autonomy
             • -Developing high-level cognitive skills (materials more communicative and interactive)
               • -Making input more accesible and engaging

4. MATERIALS PRODUCTION

   • The main question is
     • HOW DO WE THINK PEOPLE LEARN A LANGUAGE?
   • It is important the adaptation of activity types which had worked before.
   • Principles of Materials Development:
     • The language experience has to be contextualized
     • Learner has to be motivaded and engaged
     • The language for acquisition needs to be meaningful
     • Learner needs to achieve deep processing of the language

5. MATERIALS EXPLOITATION

   • Novice teachers are based on textbook while experienced teachers use a variety of materials.

6. ISSUES IN MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT

   • Value of textbooks
     • Provides to teachers everything they need in one source.
     • Is not to be sufficiently engaging for students and the students-teachers need it.
   • Published materials
     • The teacher can interact among the material and the students in a creative way
     • The teacher doesn’t have the change to observe a meaningful communication when is used outside the classroom
   • Pedagogical Approaches
     • Approaches based in experience language in use (Task Based)
     • Approaches which teach the language directly (P.P.P.)
   • Autenticity
     • Can provide meaningful exposure to language as it is actually used,
     • Simplify the learning process or acquisition.
   • Acceptability
     • Create materials according to the context and needs of the students.
     • It is complicated the acceptability of materials with controversial topics for the context
   • Role of new technologies
     • Can provide for teachers and learners flexibility and choice, get hidden information.
     • The face to face interaction is pretty short.

7. RESEARCH IN MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT

   • Theory about it but not empirical results

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