You are on page 1of 13

SELECTING AND ADAPTING

COURSEBOOKS
by Willy C. Cardoso
http://authenticteaching.wordpress.com
http://superteachersp.wordpress.com
http://twitter.com/willycard

-- Offered by --
WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN
SELECTING A COURSEBOOK?
 Language is functional and must be contextualized

 Language development requires learner engagement in purposeful use of language

 The language used should be realistic and authentic

 Classroom materials will usually seek to include an audio visual component

 Learners need to develop the ability to deal with written as well as spoken genres

 Materials need to be flexible enough to cater to individual and contextual differences

 Effective teaching materials foster learner autonomy

 Learning needs to engage learners both affectively and cognitively


 Corpus-informed coursebooks
A corpus is a large collection of samples of a language held on a
computer. The samples can come from anywhere the language is
used in speech and in writing.
A corpus helps us to understand more about the language and see
how people use it when they speak and when they write.
READ MORE
http://www.cambridge.org/elt/corpus/what_can_corpus_do.htm

 Common European Framework of Reference for


Languages (CEFR)
Developed through a process of scientific research and wide
consultation, this document provides a practical tool for setting clear
standards to be attained at successive stages of learning and for
evaluating outcomes in an internationally comparable manner.
READ MORE
http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/Linguistic/CADRE_EN.asp
SIX TYPES OF SYLLABI

 Structural Syllabus

 Notional/Functional Syllabus

 Situational Syllabus

 Skill-based Syllabus

 Task-based Syllabus

 Content-based Syllabus
SIX TYPES OF SYLLABI
 Structural Syllabus
The content of language teaching is a collection of the forms and structures, usually grammatical,
of the language being taught.

 Notional/Functional Syllabus
The content of the language teaching is a collection of the functions that are performed when
language is used, or of the notions that language is used to express. Examples of functions
include: informing, agreeing, apologizing, requesting; examples of notions include size, age,
color, comparison, time, and so on.

 Situational Syllabus
The content of language teaching is a collection of real or imaginary situations in which language
occurs or is used. A situation usually involves several participants who are engaged in some
activity in a specific setting. Examples of situations include: seeing the dentist, complaining to the
landlord, buying a book at the book store, meeting a new student, and so on.
SIX TYPES OF SYLLABI
 Skill-based Syllabus
The content of the language teaching is a collection of specific abilities that may play a part
in using language. Skills are things that people must be able to do to be competent in a
language, relatively independently of the situation or setting in which the language use can
occur. Skill-based syllabi group linguistic competencies (pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar,
and discourse) together into generalized types of behavior, such as listening to spoken
language for the main idea, writing well-formed paragraphs, giving effective oral
presentations, and so on.

 Task-based Syllabus
The content of the teaching is a series of complex and purposeful tasks that the students
want or need to perform with the language they are learning. Language learning is
subordinate to task performance, and language teaching occurs only as the need arises
during the performance of a given task. The students draw on a variety of language forms,
functions, and skills, often in an individual and unpredictable way, in completing the tasks.
Examples include: applying for a job, talking with a social worker, getting housing
information over the telephone, and so on.
SIX TYPES OF SYLLABI

 Content-based Syllabus

The primary purpose of instruction is to teach some content or information using the
language that the students are also learning. The students are simultaneously language
students and students of whatever content is being taught. The subject matter is primary,
and language learning occurs incidentally to the content learning. An example of content-
based language teaching is a science class taught in the language the students need or
want to learn, possibly with linguistic adjustment to make the science more
comprehensible.
Presentation Practice Production

Standard coursebook approach = little opportunity for authentic language use

Presentation

Practice

Production
Practice

Suggested ratio between the 3 P’s

Presentation Production
Presentation

Break long language explanations


to smaller pieces, and repeat the
Practice cycle as needed, it makes the
lesson more dynamic, and
students have more opportunities
to use the language themselves.
Production You don’t always need to start
with Presentation.
Alternative approach to PPP

• Production (diagnosis)
• Controlled Practice (if necessary)
Task
• Meaning (as needed)
• Pronunciation (as needed)
Teach • Form (as needed)

• Controlled Practice (focus on accuracy / if


necessary)
Task • Production (focus on fluency)
VIDEO ACTIVITY
The grammar activity to practice the 3rd conditional, using
the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, can be
found on:
http://moviesegmentstoassessgrammargoals.blogspot.com
Keep in touch!
http://authenticteaching.wordpress.com
http://superteachersp.wordpress.com
http://twitter.com/willycard

You might also like