Description
Book SynopsisLanguage learning materials development remains a surprisingly under-supported aspect of language teaching. This book constitutes a much-needed resource in the area, aiming to support and advance the craft of materials design. The volume offers a snapshot of the contemporary influences on language learning materials development from diverse perspectives around the globe. These influences include the demands of teaching ESOL in Britain and Ireland, the impact of Corpus Linguistics, the needs of young learners and of diverse worldwide audiences, the development of intercultural competence, as well as the integration of L2 acquisition research. Contributors to the volume are drawn from a broad range of teaching, research and materials development backgrounds. The book includes some chapters based on papers given at the MATSDA (Materials Development Association) 2008 conference.
Trade Review«(...) this is a very useful book, with something for everyone, and where every chapter is thought-provoking and encouraging. Language teachers worldwide will be able to confirm the initial postulate, that we are all potential contributors to the field of materials development.» (Carmela Chateau, TEFL.net)
«(...) a useful and stimulating read for people already working with language learning, be they teachers, researchers or materials developers.» (Guiliana Dettori, British Journal of Education Technology)
Table of ContentsContents: Freda Mishan/Angela Chambers: Introduction – Jeanne McCarten/Michael McCarthy: Bridging the gap between corpus and course book: The case of conversation strategies – Fiona Farr/Angela Chambers/Stéphanie O’Riordan: Corpora for materials development in language teacher education: Underlying principles and useful data – Ivor Timmis: Teachers telling tales: Exploring materials for teaching spoken language – Brian Tomlinson: Helping learners to fill the gaps in their learning – Alexander Gilmore: Catching words: Exploiting film discourse in the foreign language classroom – Freda Mishan: Task and task authenticity: Paradigms for language learning in the digital era – Annie Hughes: Why should we make activities for young language learners meaningful and purposeful? – Jonathan Mason: Using ethnography to develop intercultural competence – Naeema Hann/Ivor Timmis/Hitomi Masuhara: ESOL materials: Practice and principles – Rubena St. Louis/Marta Trias/Silvia Pereira: Designing materials for a twelve-week remedial course for pre-university students: A case study.
