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Teaching Materials in EIL Aya Matsuda - Coggle Diagram

- - - - The dominant instructional model(s) of the course should be selected according to the goal of the curriculum and the needs of students, and the varieties of English represented in the teaching materials should match the focus of the course. For instance, if the central goal of the course is to prepare students to study in the UK, the textbooks and other materials must introduce students to British (academic) English and its culture(s). Similarly, if the course is to prepare business professionals to relocate to Hong Kong, ideal materials would expose learners to a kind of Hong Kong English used in business as well as for social purposes
      - In many cases, American or British English—the two most popular choices for instructional models—may be a reasonable choice. They are considered legitimate and respected in many international contexts—i.e., they may not be the most preferred in all contexts but are acceptable in many. After all, there is nothing wrong per se with these varieties.
      - One key issue here, however, is that such a selection must be made after much consideration and should not disregard the need for students to be aware, appreciative and somewhat prepared for the encounter with other varieties. And in unfortunate cases where such consideration has not already taken place as part of the curriculum design, such gap may need to be filled through the process of careful selection and development of teaching materials.
      - Does it Represent a Variety of Speakers?
        
        Accordingly, the assumption that non-native English speakers learn English in order to communicate with native English speakers does not always hold true anymore.
        
        Given this reality of English, it is important that the materials used in class represent both native and non-native speakers, particularly those similar to learners themselves. Such an inclusive representation represents the profile of English users more accurately and helps learners develop a more realistic expectation about their future interlocutors.
        
        One characteristic of English today that has been pointed out by several applied linguists is that English no longer belongs exclusively to native speakers of English (Graddol, 1997; McKay, 2002; Widdowson, 1994).
        
        EIL learners rely on English textbooks and other teaching materials to create an imagined community (Pavlenko & Norton, 2007) where English is used as a medium of communication.
        
        Is it Appropriate for Local Contexts?
        
        Some scholars, for instance, have argued that we cannot automatically assume certain teaching methodologies that are well received in the western contexts work equally well with students and teachers in other parts of the world (e.g., Hino, 1988b; Hu, 2002). Each culture has a way of teaching and learning that is historically situated in the local context.
        
        That is, materials should be based on—or compatible with—the way of teaching and learning that teachers and learners are familiar with, and ideally should draw from the strength of approaches they are already accustomed to.
        
        It is also important that the content of teaching materials is relatable and meaningful to learners, as educational research suggests that students learn better when they can relate to the material and find the material real and meaningful to themselves
    - - students must understand that the variety they are learning is one of many and may differ from what their future interlocutors use. If the variety serving as the instructional model is the only variety presented in class, an impression might be formed that it is the only correct variety.
      - There are several ways to increase students’ awareness of English varieties using appropriate materials. One is to use pre-packaged teaching materials that already include multiple varieties of English. CDs that accompany textbooks, for example, may include samples of different varieties of English.
      - Another way to expose students to different varieties of English is through supplemental materials—both those created for pedagogical purposes (but not part of the pre-packaged materials adopted by the course) and non-pedagogical purposes (e.g., movies)—that include textual, audio, and visual samples of other varieties of English. Luckily, these materials are now widely accessible through the use of the Internet.
      - Finally, yet another way to increase students’ meta-knowledge about Englishes is by making it a lesson focus.
      - Whose Cultures are Represented?
        
        In courses for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in international contexts, the content of the teaching materials is naturally tied to the specific purpose for which students are prepared. For example, textbooks on English for international business may include readings on principles of cross-cultural business negotiation or cultural differences in business ethics. A teacher of a medical English course may incorporate a video clip of movie scenes that depict conversation between a doctor and patient in English, preferably from diverse English-speaking contexts involving different types of English speakers. In other words, the culture taught in such a course may be specific to the professional and discipline-specific community that the learners are attempting to enter.
        
        The first source of cultural content is global culture, which includes topics that cut across national boundaries and are relevant to the global society as a whole.
        
        The second source would be the culture(s) of their future interlocutors
        
        The third possible source of cultural content for EIL materials is the learner’s own culture
- - - - Before evaluating the teaching materials, the learners’ needs must be revisited. In the context of EIL specifically, this starts with the question: where, with whom, and for what purposes will they be using English?
    - - Once the needs are identified, any gaps between the learners’ needs and what the materials provide can be explored by asking further questions.
        
        For example,
        
        Does it help students develop an awareness of the linguistic and cultural diversity of English and a sense of the linguistic ecology that English is part of?
        
        Does it include content information that is relevant to the learners and would be useful in accomplishing their communicative goals?
        
        Does it represent English users that are similar to the learners themselves as well as their future interlocutors?
        
        Does it expose students to English varieties they are likely to be exposed to in real situations where they use English for international communication?
        
        Possible Sources for Supplemental Materials
        Other Textbooks and Pre-packaged Materials
        
        many textbooks that are used in language programs in the Inner-Circle countries also have global and multinational representations, both in terms of topics and users. A section from such materials can be incorporated as the supplemental materials.
        
        Audio-Visuals: CD, DVD, and Audio and Movie Clips
        Available on the Internet
        
        Media: Newspapers and News Scripts
        
        Official Websites: Countries and Cities,
        International Organizations, etc.
        
        Personal Websites, Blogs, and Social Networking Sites (SNS)
        
        Conclusion
        
        The chapter discussed the role of teaching materials in EIL curricula. Specifically, the chapter introduced series of questions one can use to assess how accurately and comprehensively the material represents the characteristics of EIL use. It also presented steps a teacher can use to identify what needs to be supplemented, and examples of supplemental materials that can be used to fill the gap between what students need to know and what the materials in place already provide.
        
        Exploring the Ideas
        
        Do you agree that ELT materials typically focus on English, users, and cultures from the US and/or the UK? What evidence do you have to support your belief?
        
        What are some challenges you might face in creating teaching materials that introduce varieties of English that you are not fluent in or familiar with? What can be done to alleviate those challenges?
        
        How can the awareness of respect toward different varieties of English be promoted? Is mere exposure enough? If not, what else needs to be done?
        
        What are the pros and cons of incorporating social media (e.g., Facebook, blogs, fan site) into classroom instruction? How should teachers address the use of “nonstandard” language in such spaces?
        
        Applying the Ideas
        
        4 more items...
    - - Once the gaps are identified, the materials that would fill the gaps can be found. Advancements in instructional media, including the Internet, allow teachers to easily access various kinds of materials that can be used to support teaching and learning