Materials-Definition

 Anything which is used to help to teach language

learners :
textbooks, workbook, a cassette, a CD –Rom, a
video, a photocopied handout, a newspaper, a
paragraph written on a whiteboard: anything which
presents or informs about the language being
learned.
What is a teaching aid?
 A tool used by teachers, facilitators, or tutors, to
support the teaching strategy and assist learning.
-to make learning meaningful
-to prompt the desired responses from the pupils
-to help learners to relate abstract ideas to realities
known to them
TEACHING AIDS
 A tool to help the teacher achieve the lesson
objectives better.

Categories of teaching aids:

-Visual and interactive tools

-Pictorial and electronic materials

TYPES OF TEACHING AND
LEARNING MATERIALS
 Boards- white/ chalk /magnetic/ smartboard
 Sketches/photographs/pictures/diagrams
 Flannel board/ sentence maker
 Word cards/flashcards
 realias
 Posters/wall charts/flip charts
 Puppets/models
 Printed material-e.g. handouts, tasksheets, story
books, texts
 Computers/ICT/Electronic- audio-video, DVD,
movies, internet
Authentic materials -Definition
Any material which is not written or spoken for
language teaching purposes.

- a newspaper article, a rock song, a novel, a radio

interview and even a traditional fairy tale story.
What is a
coursebook/textbook?
-A textbook is a manual of instruction or a standard
book in any branch of study.
-a teaching tool (material) which presents the subject
matter defined by the curriculum.
-They are produced according to the demand of the
educational institutions.
WHY USE TEACHING AIDS?
A well designed teaching aid should:
 promote perception
 promote understanding
 help reinforce the spoken word and other skills
 aid memory retention
 motivate and arouse interest through requiring
students to use different senses to learn
 make effective use of the teaching time available to
learn
 be well related to the lesson plan
 be interesting and attractive
 evoke responses from pupils and thus encourage
them to participate/promote greater students
participation/get students to use the language,
especially at the beginning stages
 clarify abstract concepts by giving them a concrete
dimension/Help to break up monotony, providing a
visual stimulant to reinforce what learners are
hearing
 add a variety to language learning/relieve anxiety,
fears, or boredom, since many teaching aids are like
games

They brighten up
your lesson and the
walls!
For and against Textbook
Against
Brumfit (1970:30; Richards, 1993, 1998; Allwright
1981)
 Take away teacher’s initiatives
‘‘The management of language learning is far too
complex to be satisfactorily catered for by a pre-
packaged set of decisions embodied in teaching
materials”(Allwright, 1981).
Why teachers and learners need a
coursebook?
 It is a map - shows where one is going and
where one has been
 Provides language samples
 Offers variety
 Defines what is to be learned and what will be
tested
 Offer linguistic, cultural and methodological
support
Why teachers need a coursebook?
 Saves time in preparation of materials

 To keep track if what is done

 (Continuous professional development) – when a

new approach for language learning is introduced
and it is clearly explained in the teacher’s book.)
Sensible use of coursebook
 Teachers need to adopt a critical stance in
relation to the material they are expected to use.
 This implies an awareness of learner needs and
contextual constraints and the willingness and
capacity in the light of this awareness to make
decisions concerning the selections from the
textbook of what is appropriate, and the
extension/exploitation, adaptation and
supplementation of this as necessary.
Sensible use of coursebook
“Where a suitable coursebook is available- coursebook
based teaching makes sense. However, teachers
must use their judgment in deciding which parts of
the book to use and how to use them.”
(McGrath, 2002:11)
ICT
 ICT can be regarded as the use of computers to
control several pieces of hardware (scanner,
printers, hi-fi equipment, TV, etc.), including an
Internet connection, producing, using the
appropriate software, which yields a single focus
of attention that can be monitored from a
keyboard or similar device.
 The convergence of CALL, defined as “the
search for and study of applications of the
computer in language teaching and learning”
(Levy 1997) and ICT creates a new dimension
for classrooms, teachers and students.
Resources from the Internet
 Involves resources on the internet from which your
students can be directly involved in the learning of
the language as a second language.

 Remember that technology must be used not

because it is there BUT because it enhances
language learning experiences
TUTORIAL TASKS
Discuss and present the outcome of your discussions:

 Why are materials necessary in a language lesson?

 Discuss the role of materials in enhancing effective

teaching/learning?