Topic 2 USING SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS IN ELT

Key points Characteristics of good materials What makes effective materials? Considerations in selection and use of supplementary materials (SMs) Considerations in selection and use of authentic materials (AMs)

Characteristics of good materials What do you think of the following statements? Answer: What are supplementary materials? Why do we need supplementary materials?

What makes effective materials? Teachers (language proficiency, training and experience, cultural background and preferred teaching styles) Learners (learning style preferences, needs, interests and motivation) Contextual factors (school culture, classroom conditions, class size and availability of teaching sources) Theory of language and language use Theory of language learning

Considerations in selection of SMs How SM will replace or improve on material in coursebook. ALL the skills that are required Activities designed to develop individual skills often include other skills (a reading text followed by a follow-up speaking/writing task) Level and the language of the SMs

Considerations in use of SMs Give special attention to giving instructions Adapt SMs for use with classes at different levels Games and extra communicative activities can provide variety and make learning fun but think about reasons for using them

Some types of SMs Dictionaries Songs Radio news TV shows/ commercials Road signs Movies Maps Newspaper articles Advertisements Books Posters Video tapes Catalogs Drawings Advertisements Photos Worksheets Chants Quizzes Poems Stories Essays

Designing your own materials Language content, students’ level, time and preparation, etc. Layout: + Be neat + Begin with short and clear instructions, including examples + Be clear and attractive to look at Do task 3, coursebook

Using authentic materials What do you think of the following statements? Answer: 1. What is authenticity? 2. What are the pros and cons of authentic materials in EFL classroom?

Authenticity Authenticity is taken as being synonymous with genuineness, realness, truthfulness, validity, reliability, undisputed credibility, and legitimacy of materials or practices (Tatsuki, 2006). Authentic materials: materials generated by native speakers and for native speakers are considered authentic (Rogers & Medley, 1988)

Advantages AMs have a positive effect on learner motivation provide authentic cultural information provide exposure to real language relate more closely to learners ' needs support a more creative approach to teaching

Disadvantages They may be too culturally biased The vocabulary might not be relevant to the S's immediate needs. Too many structures are mixed so lower levels have a hard time decoding the texts Special preparation is necessary  time consuming The material can become outdated easily, e.g. news.

Some types of AMs Songs Radio news TV shows/ commercials Realia (tickets, signs, bills, letters, etc.) Menus Maps Newspaper articles Advertisements Books Videos Catalogs Etc. Which types are suitable for elementary, intermediate and advanced learners? Why?

Considerations in selection and use of AMs Authenticity Interest Background knowledge Language Text organization Ss’ level Add to the list: Do task 6, coursebook