Abstract
Developing English Language materials is an important aspect of many teachers’ working lives. It is therefore important that teachers familiarize themselves with the new approaches that confront them when responding to this challenge. In this context Developing Materials for Language Teaching offers new insights into a wealth of topics, issues and perspectives that represent the current state of materials development thereby increasing teachers’ awareness of changes in practice.
This volume is a new and revised edition of a book originally published in 2003, and it is a testament to the tremendous growth of the field of materials development over the last decade. As well as its timely updating of many of the 26 chapters over its 500 or so pages, there are also six new chapters on materials development issues. This focus allows readers to gain an appreciation of new approaches to ‘materials’ that can facilitate the development of language acquisition. These entries demonstrate a rigorous analysis of perspectives on: young learners; Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL); English for Academic Purposes (EAP); English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL); and blended learning.
The original five part structure of the book lent order to the wide-ranging field, and the new edition still retains these key areas: the evaluation and adapting of materials; principles and procedures of materials development; the development of materials for target groups; the development of specific types of materials; and finally, materials development and teacher trainers. The book has been extended to illuminate a range of practical cases that reveal new approaches. Tomlinson, as editor, takes control of the revisions as he is directly responsible for four new chapters and the conclusion, whilst also jointly contributing to three additional chapters. Drawing on his experience as a consultant in many countries he is able to map out and evaluate the shifts in the field. Tomlinson offers refreshingly critical commentaries on important issues such as: who should develop materials; how should they be developed and evaluated; what should materials development be driven by; and the importance of the authenticity of texts. In addition the contributors of each of the chapters present relevant and useful approaches, encompassing a variety of age groups. They examine the practical application of initiatives situated in countries such as Romania, Spain, Brunei, Lebanon, England, Turkey and Singapore.
The scope of this revised edition benefits from a diverse group of authors principally engaged in developing materials that provide a stimulus for innovation. For example new chapters on cutting-edge technological developments are included, such as visual and digital inputs. In Chapter 9, Kiddle examines the new developments in digital language materials allied with the difficulty of fully exploiting new resource implications. In Chapter 10, Mishan focuses on the importance of the electronic delivery of materials, offering a fresh perspective of blended learning in materials development. In Chapter 11, Rixon’s research findings into young learners’ early reading conclude that current school materials are not sufficiently original and motivational for this age group. In Chapter 12, Ghosn describes an important project involving the development of new textbooks for refugee children in Lebanon. In Chapter 15, Hann identifies the gaps emerging in materials that are promoting communicative interactions outside the classroom for ESOL adult learners in the UK. Finally, in Chapter 26 Emery reports on a CLIL teacher training project for trainees in Brunei where trainees learnt to design materials for teaching science in English. These new chapters highlight a significant shift in materials development.
One of the important features of the book is the analytical framework that identifies both the positive and negative trends in materials development. The editor advocates a principled approach guarding against narrowness and publishers’ lack of flexibility which over the last decade has led some to refuse to take risks because of economic constraints. The result is that they have become overly concerned with the perceived market demand for accommodating learners’ short attention spans, and also emphasizing grammar. In addition the danger of producing course books that use teachers as material developers is highlighted as they often lack the necessary imagination resulting in the disappointing emphasis on small scale and instrumental textbooks. The editor argues that this is indicative of a mismatch that fails to fully exploit authentic texts that can inform learners’ language acquisition. As a result it is not surprising to learn that the most satisfying materials development project the author was involved in was nearly 20 years ago, in a large team in Namibia that included a publisher and the Ministry. His ideal collaborative method for designing larger scale initiatives is equally driven by teachers alongside Education Ministries, in order to create new pedagogical approaches that focus on learners’ needs. Indeed, from a positive perspective materials development needs to pay attention to these multidimensional aspects and cultural awareness. Further grounds for optimism arise from an action research approach that engages learners in the localized creation of materials.
Overall this revised edition offers a valuable addition to the comprehensive coverage of the field, given the growing number of books that Brian Tomlinson (2013: 2010) has edited and produced over the last few years. His contribution includes Applied Linguistics and Materials Development (London: Bloomsbury, 2013); and Research for Materials Development in Language Learning, co-edited with H. Masuhara (London: Continuum, 2010). These address the relationship between applied linguistics and materials development, and also research on materials development globally. Tomlinson balances his view that the recurring problems with current initiatives are that they are often peripheral to the mainstream by highlighting the new departures in materials development. He argues that the focus on the learner can successfully be reclaimed by embracing the value of local production. In addition the wealth of insights provided by a variety of cases all point to the importance of materials development being carefully planned by stakeholders. In sum the comprehensive approach of the book will prove useful to a range of educators by filling a significant gap as it critically engages with the needs of both post-graduate students and teacher trainers.