Guidelines Essay

This article was created by: Jocelyn Howard and Jae Major with the purpose of helping teachers, who decided to produce their own teaching materials; they need to observe some advantages and disadvantages, important factors and guidelines. These aspects help them to provide a coherent design for teaching materials. First, different advantages and disadvantages are examined why teacher might choose to design their own materials. These are some advantages: contextualization: it is generic; it means they do not able to take in consideration the learning environment. The coursebook do not aim any specific group of learners, particular culture or educational context. Everybody is able to use that coursebook. There are a lack commercial materials and cost force the teacher-produce their own material as best option for both students and school. Another advantages is individuals needs, it refers to different aspects or needs of learners that must be taken in consideration by teacher-producer at the moment to create material. They are first language skills, multi-cultural groups, experiences, level of English and why they are learning? Also, to increase motivation and knowledge, engagement in learning, freedom are some aspects to take in consideration in personalization, another advantage. In contrast, the disadvantages for teachers who decided to produce materials are organized in three aspects such as: organization, quality and time. Organization: refers to coherence and clear progression, physical organization and storage material and clear direction. If there are not some order in principles and clearly well-organized system will be difficult to locate them for future material’s use. Second, factors to consider when designing materials: learners: teachers find out information about learners’ needs. After that you are able to create the material. In addition, the students learning needs: skill, preferences learning style, literacy level, interests and purpose of learning English as a second language. Also, curriculum and content: it must include the goals and objectives to keep close for going back and check it. Another important factor is the resources and facilities: teachers must be realistic; they need to adapt their materials to the environment where they work. After this, personal confidence and competence: it refers to the skills, knowledge and attitudes, copyright compliance: you must have to give credits when use resources of internet, and time: organized the place that you use for working are another main factors. Third, guidelines for designing effective English teaching materials: in general they provide a coherent design in materials which emphasize the learning skills and knowledge. ELT materials should be contextualized (guideline1): the curriculum is to give address, specific individual’s needs and the topic is meaningful. And then, in a real communication process, professor must be sure the materials they develop have a clear purpose (guideline 2). Guideline 3: teachers should teach how to learn, help to take advantages and opportunities for self-evaluation. So, metalanguage (out of the class) is an example of these opportunities. Besides, guideline 4: materials make the student focus on form. Guideline 5: produce materials and incorporate more than one skill. Guideline 6: it is not only written material, it’s also visual and spoken. Guideline 7: the materials must be connected between what you did and what will you do. Guideline 8: physical appearance of materials must be attractive to the learners. Guideline 9: the instructions must be clear and easy to follow by learners. Guideline 10: the materials must be adapted to the activities and the learners. In summary, when teachers make the decision of creating their own materials they should be taken in account the different advantages and disadvantages presenting in this text. Also, they need to consider the factors and guidelines which provide them the most important point for developing their own teaching materials.