Second edition

Possible soiutions

Extending material	The task or exercise is too short. The learners need more practice.	* Write extra items, following the same pattern.
Shortening material	® The task or exercise is too long, 3 The learners don’t need so much practice.	* Use as much as you need, but do not feel you have to use it all. ® Give different parts of the text or task to different learners.
Changing the methodology	e The task doesn't suit the learners’ learning style. * You want a change of pace. 3 The coursebook often repeats the same kind of task.	® Change the interaction pattern, e.g. use a matching task as a mingling activity {in this case learners move around the class to find their partners).
Changing the level of the material	^ The texts or tasks are too easy or too difficult.	* Make material more challenging, e.g. learners try to answer comprehension questions before reading. 3 Make material less challenging, e.g. break up a long text into shorter sections.
Reordering material	* The activities in the units in the book always follow the same sequence. ® The learners need to learn or practise things in a different order.	® Change the order of the material, e.g. ask learners to cover up a page or part of a page, so that they focus on what you want them to do first.
Making use of all the resources in the book	3 There is not enough practice material in a particular unit. 3 The iearners need to revise particular items. * You want to preview material in a future unit.	e Use extra material from the book: grammar summaries, word lists, lists of irregular verbs, etc. * Give whole-book tasks, e.g. searching through the book for texts, pictures, language examples.

157

Coursebook provides:	Teacher can provide additional:
э situation/context	s warmers
s pictures	instructions
® dialogues (conversations between two people) and texts	s role-plays
* tasks and exercises	s homework tasks

© If we plan to reorder the material in the coursebook, we must make sure that this is possible, he. that a task/exercise does not depend on a previous one.
© We can change the order of activities in the coursebook in order to introduce variety in one of the following areas: pace, interaction pattern, sequence of skills practice, level of difficulty, content, mood, etc.
© We should think about how to make material more attractive and interesting for learners and how to bring material to life, e.g. using mime, pictures, realia (real objects such as clothes or food), etc.
See Units Ц and is for learner characteristics and needs, Unit 25 for the selection and use of supplementary materials, and Unit 26 for the selection and use of aids.





Look at the extract from a coursebook for teenagers. How eoidd you adapt this material if you wanted to use it with a group you are teaching? Think about the following criteria and use the questions in the Key concepts section on pages 156-7: ^*

• 
  Visual attractiveness « Visual clarity
  

e Visual support to understand context and meaning s Organisation

• 
  Cu 11uга 1 appropriateness
  
• 
  Language level
  

* Familiarity of context(s)
« Suitability for learners' age, needs and interests

• 
  Motivating topic(s) to suit age, gender, experience and personal interests of your learners
  
• 
  Clarity of context and/or explanations for learners to understand new language
  

a Opportunities to use the language


158

Unit 24 Selection and use of coursebook materials

■■■■■■■
[a] took at the pictures. What Jo you thq text is about?
\ A rP*i who d/Jn t fee! weE* 00 tin? pUtfc-m rjFa Nc-w York subway st a ? гоп.
1 К min Л'Ьо saved гпс-sho.r n\an in the New YojtC subway.
3 Tix? mao who ctevge^ti the platforms- of the Ne-w York stiUvay,


|Й/ ^{1 : :} ^- ^: Tfovv rf'-sti the 1*xt-again ■'
and listen. Answer the questions.
t Why d^:tbe piatform zod then tho tc*tV?
2 f tow de-op was the spacs where M; l-fetfc-petf* feii?
У Why did five subway c *> (t r ave4 ovo-r the two men?
4 Who wa s Mr Au? чу v; or cicl v.heii tiie t-a^a stopped?





(from English in Mind, Level t Student's Book (Second edition) by Herbert Puchta and Jeff Stranks, Cambridge University Press 2010)


^8анийДР
Think about these comments from teachers. Which do you agree with and why?

1. 
   My students always complain if I leave things out or change the order in the coursebook, so I try to do everything in the order given in the book.
   
2. 
   I'd love to teach without a coursebook, but: the students expect to have one.
   
3. 
   I've used the same coursebook for three years. I know how it works and I don't want to change.
   

1 What components are available with your current coursebook? Which ones do you use and why? What Is missing? Make notes in your Teacher Portfolio.

2. 
   For further ideas on using coursebooks, look at. Chapter 4 of Teaching Practice Handbook (Second edition) by Roger Gower, Diane Phillips and Steve Walters, Macmillan 1995 and Chapter 5, Part 2 of Planning Lessons and Courses by Tessa Woodward, Cambridge University Press 2001. For ideas on using other materials, look at Chapter 3, Section i of Learning Teaching (Second edition) by Jim Scrivener, Macmillan 2005 and Module 13, Units One, Two and Three of
   

A Coarse in Language Teaching by Penny Ur, Cambridge University Press 1996.

2. 
   For ideas about teaching with few materials, or none, look at Teaching Unplugged by Luke Meddtngs and Scott Thornbuty, Delta Publishing 2009 and httph/www.thomburyseoU.conhtu/portal.htm
   

159

Module 2

For questions 1-7, look at the incomplete statements about adapting coursebook materials and the three options for completing them listed A, В and C.
Two of the options complete the statements correctly. One option does NOT.
Choose the letter (A, В or C) which does NOT complete the statement correctly. ¹


1 If the material is too young for the age of the learners, we can
A replace cartoons with photographs.
В find more motivating texts.
C introduce more kinaesthetic activities.

2. 
   If the material is culturally inappropriate, we can
   

A make the material more challenging.
В adapt unsuitable tasks.
C use a different context for presenting.

2. 
   if the grammar revision in the book isn’t enough for the learners, we can
   

A write some extra material.
В change the interaction patterns.
C adapt exercises from earlier units.

2. 
   if the practice material is too easy for some students, we can
   

A find extension or supplementary exercises.
В provide lists of key words.
C find new texts on other topics.

2. 
   if there isn’t enough controlled practice material, we can A re-use the same material.
   

В extend exercises in the book following the same pattern.
C use the pictures in the book for further practice.

2. 
   If the practice material is presented without any clear context, we can A add visuals,
   

В suggest that learners consult a dictionary of culture.
C add a sentence or two to provide background.

2. 
   If there isn’t enough reading skills development, we can
   

A set up a class library of graded readers.
В ask students to read the texts aloud.
C find an appropriate supplementary skills book.


160

Unit 23 S^l^ction and of supplementary materials and activities

ш How do we select and use supplementary materials and activities?