Developing Materials for TESOL
| Module title | Developing Materials for TESOL |
|---|---|
| Module code | EFPM310 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Susan Riley (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 8 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 12 |
|---|
Module description
One of the earliest things that teachers do in their teaching career is to make judgments about the materials they use. These informal criticisms, when placed within a principled framework developed from theories of materials evaluation, allow a classroom teacher to make informed choices about what to use. The logical step from this initial process is to consider designing your own materials in order to adapt or supplement those in a coursebook, or to develop a set of materials from scratch. This cycle of evaluation and design is the content of this module. You will develop some essential skills that will enable you to have an influence on the content of English language teaching within your context, and give you the skills and confidence to develop your own courses.
Module aims - intentions of the module
- To develop a critical understanding of the concepts of evaluation and design in TESOL materials;
- To develop a critical understanding of factors affecting the design and evaluation of materials;
- To introduce and critically discuss current approaches to materials evaluation and design;
- To equip students with the skills needed to undertake materials evaluation and design;
- To introduce research approaches to facilitate understanding and development of the materials evaluation and design cycle.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. demonstrate a good understanding of materials evaluation and design and related issues
- 2. establish criteria for the evaluation and design of TESOL materials
- 3. undertake an evaluation of materials employing a variety of research techniques as appropriate
- 4. produce materials appropriate to a specific context
- 5. critically reflect upon, and further refine materials
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. create coherent written accounts of materials evaluation and design
- 7. apply course input to their own, their peers' and synthetic teaching situations
- 8. identify and apply strategic options for the development of/ and modification of teaching materials
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 9. study independently as well as cooperatively in group/pair work
- 10. create a presentation of materials either individually or with peers for group and class discussion
- 11. digest, select and organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and thoughtful analysis of theory applied to professional and cultural situations
Syllabus plan
Week 1: Overview of evaluation; purposes and uses; role of coursebooks in different contexts.
Weeks 2-3:. Principles and practices of materials analysis and evaluation; frameworks for evaluation; criteria for selection of coursebooks.
Week 4: The process of materials development; principles and frameworks for design and exploitation of texts.
Week5: The design process for adapting and supplementing.
Week 6: The use and exploitation of authentic materials; authenticity of task.
Week 7: Workshop: design and development in context. The use and role of culture in EFL materials.
Week 8: Student presentations.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 135 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 15 | lectures, seminars and tutorials |
| Guided Independant Study | 20 | directed reading |
| Guided Independant Study | 80 | self-study |
| Guided Independant Study | 35 | assignment preparation |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation | 10 minutes | 1-6, 9, 11 | Verbal comment and questions from lecturer and peers |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment: coursebook evaluation and task adaptation | 100 | 3750 | 1-4, 7-9 | Written feedback |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Resubmission of assignment | 1-4, 7-9 | 6 weeks |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Harwood, N. (2010). English Language teaching materials: Theory and Practice. Cambridge: CUP.
McGrath, I (2002) Materials Evaluation and Design for Language Teaching Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Peacock, M (1997) The effect of authentic materials on the motivation of EFL learners. ELTJournal 51/2:144-156. Tomlinson, B. (ed) (2003). Developing Materials for Language Teaching.London: Continuum.
Tomlinson, B. (ed) (2008). English Language learning materials. London: Continuum.
Tomlinson, B (ed) (2011) Materials Development in Language Teaching Cambridge: CUP.
Tomlinson, B. & H. Masuhara (eds) (2010). Research for Materials development in language learning: evidence for best practice. London: Continuum
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Tomlinson & Masuhara (see above) e-book.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Last revision date | 25/01/13 |
