Materials Development (MD)

Course outline
This course introduces participants to some basic concepts and processes related to the development and implementation of materials for language learning and teaching. The four main modules include: 1) Material Development basics, 2) the Perspectives on interaction and learning, 3) Recursive tools and procedures, and 4) Developing materials. Emphasizing oral communication, this course provides participants with practical experience using tools and techniques for developing effective materials. These tools and techniques include student invested materials (such as conversation cards), conversation strategies, model conversations, recursive practice, recording and videoing conversations, transcriptions, follow-up activities, and feedback. Once participants are familiar with the basic concepts, processes, tools, and techniques in materials development, they will design materials for use in their current teaching context. These will be shared with other participants in a final presentation/discussion session.

Comments
This is a 4-day summer intensive course with assignments and reading requirements. These will be provided in advance by the instructor. Evaluation is based on preparation, participation, assignments, and the final materials development project.

Text/references materials
Print materials will be provided by the instructor (see below).

Required reading

1. Tomlinson, B. (1998). Glossary of basic terms for materials developement in language teaching. In B. Tomlinson (Ed.), Materials Development in Language Teaching (pp. viii-xiii). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
2. Tomlinson, B. (1998). Introduction. In B. Tomlinson (Ed.), Materials Development in Language Teaching (pp. 1-24). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
3. Lantolf, J. (2007). Sociocultural Theory: A unified approach to L2 learning and teaching. In A. Cummins & C. Davison (Eds.), International Handbook of English Language Teaching, Part 2. New York: Spinger Science.
4. Kindt, D. (2002). Towards a complex systems view of course design. Academic Journal of Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, 10(11), 281-323.
   
5. Islam, C., & Mares, C. (2003). Adapting Classroom Materials. In B. Tomlinson (Ed.), Developing Materials for Language Teaching (pp. 86-100). London: Continuum.
6. Howard, J., & Major, J. (2004). Guidelines for designing effective English language teaching materials. Proceedings of the 9th Conference of Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics, 101-109.
7. Kindt, D. (2005). A complex systems view of course design: A case study in the application and development of recursive procedures. Nagoya University of Foreign Studies Journal of the School of Contemporary International Studies, 1, 157-191.
8. Sakui, K. (2004). Wearing two pairs of shoes: language learning in Japan. ELT Journal, 58(2), 155-163.
9. Woodward, T. (2001). Planning lessons and courses: Designing sequences of work for the language classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Chapter 8, What are our freedom and constraints?, pp. 212-242)

• References and further reading
• Materials Development sample materials
• Materials Development useful sites

Other resources:

• Glossary of ELT terms; Corpus Concordance Sampler;