Lecture 2

University of Algiers II, Abou El Kacem Saâdallah
Faculty of Foreign Languages
Department of English
Course: Materials Design and Evaluation (Master 1, S2)

(Fundamental Unit, Coeff. 2, Credits 4)
Teacher in Charge: Mr Azzouni
Lecture 2:
Principles of material evaluation and development
WHAT IS MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT?
Materials development is a practical undertaking involving the production,

evaluation, adaptation and exploitation of materials intended to facilitate language
acquisition and development. It is also a field of academic study investigating the
principles and procedures of the design, writing, implementation, evaluation and analysis
of learning materials. Ideally materials development practitioners and materials
development researchers interact and inform each other through conferences,
publications and shared endeavours. In the past, materials development practitioners
were either teachers with little awareness of applied linguistics or applied linguists with
little awareness of teaching and learning. Nowadays, there are many materials
development experts who have considerable experience and expertise as teachers, as
materials development practitioners and as materials development researchers and there
have been a number of conferences recently in which materials development principles
and procedures have been both discussed in theory and demonstrated in action.
1
WHY IS MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT IMPORTANT?
There have been a number of movements which have attempted to develop

materials-free approaches to the teaching of languages (e.g., the Dogme movement of
Thornbury and Meddings (2001)) but it is commonly accepted that in most language
classrooms throughout the world most lessons are still based on materials. Richards
(2001, p. 251), for example, observes that “instructional materials generally serve as the
basis of much of the language input that learners receive and the language practice that
occurs in the classroom”. It is also commonly accepted that most language teachers use
coursebooks and that no coursebook can meet the needs and wants of every (or even any)
class (Tomlinson, 2010). This means that “Every teacher is a materials developer”
(English Language Centre, 1997) who is constantly evaluating the available materials,
adapting them, replacing them, supplementing them and finding effective ways to
implement the materials chosen for classroom use. This is truer today than ever as the
economics of publishing dictates that most coursebooks on the market are still global
coursebooks for all learners of English whereas most learners of English these days are
learning it in distinctive contexts for distinctive purposes. Materials development must
therefore be central to any course designed to train, educate or develop new or practising
teachers and it must be accorded significance by the applied linguists and teacher trainers
who run such courses and/or publish articles, chapters and books for use on them. In
addition to the obvious pragmatic function of preparing teachers for the realities of
classroom teaching, materials development can also be extremely useful as a “way of
helping teachers to understand and apply theories of language learning – and to achieve
personal and professional development” (Tomlinson, 2001, p. 67).
WHAT IS MATERIALS EVALUATION?
The systematic appraisal of the value of materials in relation to their objectives and
to the objectives of the learners using them. Evaluation can be pre-use and therefore
focused on predictions of potential value. It can be whilst-use and therefore focused on
awareness and description of what the learners are actually doing whilst the materials are
2
being used. And it can also be post-use and therefore focused on evaluation of what
happened as a result of using the materials.
WHAT IS MATERIALS ADAPTATION?
Making changes to materials in order to improve them or to make them more

suitable for a particular type of learner. Adaptation can include reducing, adding,
omitting, modifying and supplementing. Most teachers adapt materials every time they
use a textbook in order to maximize the value of the book for their particular learners.
References
Richards, J. (2001). Curriculum development in language education. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press.
Tomlinson, B. (2001). Materials development. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.), The

Cambridge guide to teaching English to speakers of other languages (pp. 66–71).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Tomlinson, B. (2010). What do teachers think about English coursebooks? Modern

English Teacher, 19(4), 5–9.
Thornbury, S., & Meddings, L. (2001). Coursebooks: The roaring in the chimney. Modern
English Teacher, 10(3), 11–13.

Lecture 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 2

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

University of Algiers II, Abou El Kacem Saâdallah

Faculty of Foreign Languages

Course: Materials Design and Evaluation (Master 1, S2)

Principles of material evaluation and development

WHAT IS MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT?

Materials development is a practical undertaking involving the production,

There have been a number of movements which have attempted to develop

WHAT IS MATERIALS EVALUATION?

WHAT IS MATERIALS ADAPTATION?

Making changes to materials in order to improve them or to make them more

Richards, J. (2001). Curriculum development in language education. Cambridge:

Tomlinson, B. (2001). Materials development. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.), The

Tomlinson, B. (2010). What do teachers think about English coursebooks? Modern

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.