TSLB3063

TOPIC 3
DEVELOPING MATERIALS AND ACTIVITIES
FOR TEACHING LISTENING AND SPEAKING
 TSLB3063
1. Criteria for selection and adaptation of materials
to teach listening and speaking

2. Devise activities to teach listening and speaking

skills based on the materials selected in line with
21st century learning

3. Incorporating elements of HOTS,independent

learning, current context and needs
 DEFINITIONS

Materials
Materials will be considered anything which is used to help language
learning (Tomlinson, 1998). Examples include but are not limited to:
coursebooks, workbooks, CDs, flashcards, and CD-ROMs.

Adaptation
Adaptation is the altering of materials to improve or make them
more suitable for a particular type of learner or group of learners.
 CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF MATERIALS
TO TEACH LISTENING AND SPEAKING

AUTHENTIC MATERIALS
o Materials produced in response to real life communicative needs rather
than an imitation of real life communicative needs
• Authentic Listening-Viewing Materials
• Authentic Visual Materials
• Authentic Printed Materials

NON-AUTHENTIC MATERIALS
o Materials that are specially produced for classroom practices
 CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF MATERIALS
TO TEACH LISTENING AND SPEAKING

Materials should encourage learners to apply their developing skills to

the world beyond the classroom (Nunan, 1988).

Materials should provide personal rather than mechanical practice

(Bell & Gower, 1998).

Materials should address the need for student-centredness

(Tomlinson, 2011).

Materials should be relevant to students needs and contexts

(Hutchinson & Waters, 1987).

Materials should maximise learning potential by encouraging

intellectual, aesthetic and emotional involvement which stimulates
both right- and left-brain activity (Tomlinson, 2011).
 CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF MATERIALS
TO TEACH LISTENING AND SPEAKING

MATERIALS

Listening
o What children are doing when they
are listening
o What children need to learn
o How children show they have
listened and understood
o Useful classroom techniques
Speaking
o What children need to learn to do
o What speaking includes
o The type of planned opportunities
to speak that children need
o How to encourage children to make
extended contributions
o Useful classroom techniques
 CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF MATERIALS
TO TEACH LISTENING AND SPEAKING
FINDING THE RIGHT FIT

Criteria for selecting materials can be developed through a

Needs analysis

Checklists

Best match

http://www.tesol.org/docs/default-source/books/14021-sample.pdf?sfvrsn=2
 CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF MATERIALS
TO TEACH LISTENING AND SPEAKING
NEEDS ANALYSIS

The local context strongly influences how learning and teaching

occurs.
Therefore, local context must be considered when choosing
materials:

o age of the students,

o number in the class,
o the learners’ level(s),
o management of learning,
o motivations for learning,
o available resources
 CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF MATERIALS
TO TEACH LISTENING AND SPEAKING
NEEDS ANALYSIS

A key aspect of the needs analysis should be a consideration of the systems

and skills the students need to meet their goals:

o To pass exams that assess knowledge of grammar and vocabulary but

put less emphasis on students’ pronunciation, for example.
o To learn English for a specific purpose so developing strong reading and
writing skills will be of particular importance.

A needs analysis will identify the learners’ needs in these areas so that
materials can be selected that support successful learning.
 CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF MATERIALS
TO TEACH LISTENING AND SPEAKING
NEEDS ANALYSIS

Teacher’s interests and preferences (Harwood)

The degree of fit between the materials and the teacher should be
considered in the needs analysis. For instance:

o How adaptable/ flexible are the materials?

o How much guidance and support do the materials give to the

teacher?

o How closely does the teacher’s preferred pedagogical

approach align with that of the materials?
 CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF MATERIALS
TO TEACH LISTENING AND SPEAKING
NEEDS ANALYSIS

The add-ons of the materials are a further consideration. Course- books

in particular now come with a large array of additional resources. While a
teacher’s book might be a reasonable expense, do students also need
the CD-Rom, the workbook, and other additions that publishers now
provide?

Tomlinson, Dat, Masuhara, and Rubdy (2001), and Masuhara, Haan, Yi,
and Tomlinson (2008) have all been critical of the “unwanted increase in
the number of components of coursebooks” (Tomlinson, 2012, p. 149),
and it is worth considering if they are both essential and useful.
 CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF MATERIALS
TO TEACH LISTENING AND SPEAKING
DEVELOPING A CHECKLIST

Cunningsworth (1995) looked at language content, selection and

grading of language items, presentation and practice of new
language items, developing language skills and communicative
ability, supporting materials, and motivating the learner.

New buzzwords of “critical thinking” and “21st century skills” can be

added to Cunningsworth’s list.
 SELECTION
Matching Materials and Criteria
 EVALUATION OF MATERIALS

EXAMPLE
A checklist-based, requiring responses indicating levels of agreement or
disagreement with statements about the materials in the following areas:

 General Appearance
 Layout and Design
 Methodology
 Activities
 Language Skills
 Language Content
 Topic Content
 Teachability and Flexibility
 Assessment
 CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF MATERIALS
TO TEACH LISTENING AND SPEAKING

Skills and recorded materials

□ Does the material cover the particular micro skill for listening
comprehension /oral communication you intend to teach?
□ Is listening material well-recorded?
□ Is listening material authentic / non-authentic?
□ Does the dialogue have many speakers?
□ Is the speech clear?
□ Is the accent familiar to the students?
□ Is there any visual support material?
 PRINCIPLES OF ADAPTATION

Grant (1987) has listed the following principles for materials adaptation:

1) Making dialogues communicative

2) Making learning activities relevant and purposeful

3) Meeting learners’ needs, both external and psychological

4) Use models of real, authentic language

 PRINCIPLES OF ADAPTATION
3 Level of materials adaptation

Textbook adaptation can be done at these levels:

1) Macro adaptation
o Is ideally done before the language programme begins
o It helps to avoid waste of time and energy of the teacher and the students

2) Adapting a unit
o Helps to make the classroom teaching more smooth and cohesive.
o Helps the teacher to better fulfill the aims of a unit.

3) Adaptation of specific activities

o Occasionally an activity is regarded as valuable, but it is not well-designed or it is not
feasible in a particular class.
 PRINCIPLES OF ADAPTATION
Types of Adaptation

①Rewriting/modification

①Replacement

①Re-ordering

①Branching
To adapt or Not To Adapt?
 TUTORIAL TASK

In pairs, choose a unit , an authentic material (listening-

viewing, visual and printed) from a primary (year 1 - year 6)
English text book that you think needs adaptation. Make some
suggestions about possible adaptation so that the unit can be
used more effectively in the classroom. Justify your reasons for
the adaptations and present to your class.
 20 th Century vs. 21 st
Century <ul><li>Grades are
based on what was learned
</li></ul><ul><li>Grades
averaged </li></ul...