ELT Material Development

1. ELT Material Development Week 5 Processing the Comparatives Lesson & the Features of Good Materials

2. Homework for Next Week • Read and answer Qs for How to Put Words to Work page 81 reading pages 82-94. • Homework Discussion • Discuss answers to the questions for “Text-based Tasks”

3. Processing The Lesson • Review (pp. 97-104) the lesson plan & materials I taught last week and answer these Qs: • What were the materials I used in this lesson? Make a list? • How did the lesson personalize and humanize the learning for the students? • How was Ss prior knowledge assessed?

4. Materials Used in Sample Lesson 1 • laminated pictures on walls • additional pictures on desk • White board • PPT (visuals of activities, pattern practice, scaffolding) • Students • The monkey • Name cards • Worksheets (picture puzzle, graphic organizer, survey) • Teacher Re-grouping at end of lesson

5. Processing The Lesson • Based on Tomlinson’s recommendations for good materials, which of the 16 features do the material in the comparatives sample lesson illustrate?

6. Features of Good Materials in Lesson 1 1. Impact 2. Puts Ss at ease 3. Develops confidence 4. Relevant and useful because Ss talk about famous people they care about 5. Self-Investment & discovery (puzzle game) 6. Learners ready because they provided all the base adjectives 8. Learners attn drawn to pattern before use 9. Communicative purpose (Q&A and survey) 11. Learning styles (visual and kinesthetic learners accommodated) 13. Silent period 15. Not too much controlled practice 16. Outcome feedback

7. Looking at our Coursebook • Open Connect 3 Student book to pages 44-49. • Look at the materials, the language and the activities • How would you integrate the sample lesson I taught into the coursebook? Why would you use it that way?

8. Discussion Questions • Do you only use the textbook when you teach your classes? • Do you always follow the textbook exactly the way it is laid out?

9. Coursebooks and Materials Principles for using a coursebook: Understand how the coursebook is organized Adapt the material Prepare the learners Monitor and follow up Building a repertoire

10. Understanding how the coursebook is organized Most coursebooks are organized around key features of language. For example: topics and associated vocabulary (ex: animals, food, body parts) grammar structures (ex: verb tenses) social and cultural interaction skills (ex: introductions)

11. Adapt the material Coursebooks are not written for a specific group of people. No book can meet all the needs and interests of each group of learners you teach. Therefore, coursebooks need to be adapted to your particular group of learners.

12. SARS S=Select A = Adapt R = Reject S = Supplement

13. Prepare the learners Learners often fail activities in coursebooks because they have not been adequately prepared. As long as learners know what to do and have the ability to it, they will be successful.

14. Preparing the learner also means preparing yourself ask yourself these questions: What is the context for the activity? How can you make the context clear and interesting to learners? What is the purpose of the activity? What is the focus  to learn grammar, to communicate, to learn vocabulary? What can you do as a teacher to set your students up to be successful at the activity? How long will the activity take?

15. Monitor and Follow Up How can we “monitor” our students?

16. While students are doing the task, make sure to check their progress and help them if they need it. • Make sure to check on ALL students!

17. Build a Repertoire What does the term “repertoire” mean?

18. “the complete list or supply of skills, devices, or ingredients used in a particular field, occupation, or practice” From: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary • How can we apply this definition apply to language teaching? (What does “repertoire” refer to in terms of teaching?)

19. Coursebooks often contain consistent activities throughout. • Doing activities “consistently” can build your repertoire of ways to do each type of activity. • It can also help students to get used to it and know what to expect (predictability).

20. Using Text-based Tasks • How are reading and listening/watching different from each other? Why is it important in material and task design to recognize these differences? • Why do we want to encourage learners to read or listen to a text multiple times?

21. Using Text-based Tasks • When using text-based materials, what comes first comprehension or communicative tasks? Why? • Is there a sequence of activities that we should be aware of when using text-based materials? What is that sequence? • In that sequence where does the communicative came? Why?

22. Using Text-based Tasks • What are some common patterns found in texts? • What are some common text-based activities and tasks? • When using texts use Pre-During-Post and then have the Post follow the task cycle.

23. Common Patterns • Situation-Problem-Solution-Evaluation • Sequential • General to Specific • Topic-Elaboration • Main fact - Supporting details • Hypothesis-Evidence-Conclusion

24. Common Text-based Activities and Tasks • Prediction tasks • Jumbles • Restoration tasks • Jigsaws • Comparison tasks • Memory Challenge tasks (when used, Ss should have additional exposure to the text after the memory challenge is done)