TSL3113 Developing and Using Resources for the Primary ESL Classroom

1.Teaching and Learning Materials for The Classroom

Types
Major sources textbook.
Advantages of textbook:
i.
Helpful for beginning teachers.
ii.
Provide organized units of work.
iii.
Provides you with a balanced, chronological presentation of information.
iv.
A detailed sequence of teaching procedures.
v.
Provide administrators and teachers with a complete programme.
vi.
Excellent teaching aids.
Other types of teaching learning materials:
i.
Resource centre
ii.
Language games
iii.
Language lab
iv.
NITE (Newspaper in Teaching English)
v.
Blackboard sketches
vi.
Use of Radios, TV
vii.
Internet
viii.
Use of ICT

Purpose
Sources of input for language learning.
Used as ways of promoting output, either spoken or written.
Used to provide scaffolding for learning.
Used to stimulate reflection.
Can be used in multiple ways allow for flexibility and creativity in teaching and
learning.

Strengths and weaknesses

Advantages:
i.
Relevance directly relevant to students and institutional needs and that
reflect local content, issues, and concerns.
ii.
Develop expertise help develop expertise among staff, giving them a
greater understanding of the characteristics of effective materials.
iii.
Reputation enhance the reputation by demonstrating its commitment to
providing materials especially for its students.
iv.
Flexibility can be revised or adapted as needed.

Disadvantages:
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2. Factors in Selection and Evaluation

Level
Age of the students, their interest, and their ability need to be considered.

Content cultural, knowledge

Eg: related to seasons and festivals in those countries and not only use related
vocabulary but also make assumptions about students understanding of the
topics.
Learn about other cultures.

Clarity
Needs to be clear to see (visual) or hear (audio).
Meaning of the text should be clear.
Font size.

Accessibility
Needs to be well organised.
Pupils can see how much progress they are making.

Practicality
Considering whether the construction or use of the materials is physically
possible.
Sometimes, teachers dream up wonderful ways to teach material, but it really is
too difficult to complete.
Activities need to be usable in a classroom situation.

Versatility
The materials can be used in more than one situation.
Can be varied to suit the students or the situation or different levels.

Cost effectiveness
Affordable materials.
Expensive materials the cost is worth for the long term.
Cheaper materials may end up expensive if many units being needed, or
maintenance and repair.
Durability
Young learners usually rough on materials.
It needs to be strong enough to last the distance.
Need to consider whether to make something cheap and consumable, constantly
being replaced, or durable by laminating or using sturdy materials.
Impact

Authenticity
Using examples of language produced for some real purpose of their own.
Eg: newspaper.

3. Evaluation and Exploitation of Course Books and Multimedia Materials

Instruments & criteria:
Instruments
Criteria
Physical Attributes
Looks good, feels good, durable
Lies flat when open
Good size in carrying
Presentation clear, not cluttered
Availability of copies
Locally available
Reasonably priced
Support materials
Available but not essential
Teachers book
Audio materials on CD
Student workbook
Vocabulary book/student dictionary
Interactive materials/CD Rom
Test book/CD
Teachers book
Could be used by inexperienced
teachers
Audio files clearly indexed to book
Teachers book contain useful:
teaching strategies; additional
activities; tests
Students book
Clear instructions
Space to write
Self-assessment possible
Clear reference pages for grammar
Easy to find reference pages and
vocab lists
Content
Clear scope and sequence page
Cross-referenced to common
frameworks
In line with appropriate syllabus
Suitable for this culture
Suitable for different learning styles
Spiralling progression
Activities
Practical
Communicative
Versatile for group size
Versatile for ability levels
Opportunities to practice
Opportunities for personalization
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4. Selection and Adaptation

Factors for selection
Contextual factors:
Age
Interests
Level of proficiency in English
Aptitude
Mother tongue
Academic and educational level
Attitudes to learning
Motivation
Reasons for learning
Preferred learning styles
Personality

Setting
The role of English in the country
The role of English in the school
The teachers
Management and administration
Resources available
The number of pupils
Time
Physical environment
The socio-cultural environment
The types of tests used
Procedures for monitoring and evaluating

Principles of adaptation
i.
Adding
Implying that the materials are supplemented by putting more into them,
while taking into account the practical effect on time allocation.
Can add in this simple, quantitative way by the technique of extending.
Bringing about a qualitative change.
Moving outside it and developing it in new directions. Eg: by putting in a
different language skill or a new component.
ii.
Deleting or omitting
The opposite process to that of addition.
Material is taken out rather than supplemented.
Reducing the length of material as subtracting from it.
iii.
Modifying
An internal change in the approach or focus of an exercise or other piece
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5. Technical Skills and Knowledge for Producing Materials

Producing materials: e.g. boards, charts, puppets, Big books, masks, slides, audio
Selection of raw materials
Strength:
Contextualization generic and not aimed at any specific group of learners
or any particular cultural or educational context.
Designing or adapting materials enables teacher to take into account their
particular learning environment and to overcome the lack of fit of the
course book.
Availability of resources enable them to make best use of the resources
available in their teaching context.
Emphasise the importance of identifying and teaching to the individual
needs of learners.
Personalization to increase motivation and engagement in learning.
Timeliness materials can respond to local and international events with
up-to-date, relevant and high interest topics.

Implication for developing own materials:

Organisation usually organised and follow a discernible pattern.
Lack overall coherence and a clear progression.
Physical organisation and storage of materials may be difficult to locate
for ongoing use, or may end up damaged or with parts missing.
Quality contain errors, poorly constructed, lack clarity, lack durability.
A lack of experience and understanding on the part of the teacher result
in important element being left out.
A lack of clear instructions.
Time constraint.

Assembling of raw materials

K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple Stupid)
Check everything
Use lower case
Big enough
Durable or disposable
No child left out
Hit the ground with your feet running need to be ready to start lesson straight
away.
Dont waste your time on the packaging
Keep focussed on the children
Kids need to do something
Allow for low tech
Use your body and your voice
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6. Developing Resources for Teaching

Listening and Speaking Skills
Listen to a story / song if possible
Teacher reads the story / play the tape
Role plays (divide students in a group of four)
Using puppets

Reading Skills
Jigsaw reading
Rearrange the sentences in the correct order

Writing Skills
The writing process:
Prewriting
Drafting
Revising
Editing

Types of writing:
Narration
Process
Cause and effect
Comparison
Argument

Language Arts
Grammar
Defined as the way a language operates and unites words in order to form longer
units of meaning.

Vocabulary
Vocabulary visual aids, relia, maps, pictures, multimedia.
Exploiting Teaching Learning Materials