LECTURER: Prof. Dr. Hj. Djamiah Husain, M.

Hum

CURRICULUM AND MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT

RESENSI BUKU

BY
MUHAMMAD THAHIR M.
11B01168
KELAS E

GRADUATE PROGRAM
STATE UNIVERSITY OF MAKASSAR
2013
Judul : Materials Evaluation and Design for language Teaching

Penulis : Ian McGrath

Penerbit : Edimburgh University Press Ltd. 2002

Tebal : 305 halaman

This book provides a systematic introduction to the issues involved in developing,

managing, and evaluating effective second and foreign language programs and teaching
materials. Key stages in the curriculum development process are examined, including
situation analysis, needs analysis, goal setting, syllabus design, materials development and
adaptation, teaching and teacher support, and evaluation. Discussion activities throughout the
book enable it to be used as a reference text for teachers and administrators

Among ten chapters of the books provide systematic outlines which begin with simple
introduction and end with conclussion or summary, the introduction of its chapter actually has
an important role or function that will guide the reader to focus ont the topic discuss in that
chapter, the content of each chapter actually easy even some words used there quite difficult
to understand, the summary that the writer express is the key point of the discussion topic of
the chapter.

In chapter One McGrath present the explanations about material. Material in this
subchapter is not directly talking about material as in general for teaching and learning
process. However, the material on its intent is real examples are pencils, homes, fans, chairs
and others. This learning material is intended for language learning to facilitate the process of
illustrating something. After all the learning material are still the best relays in the process of
language teaching when we compared with study materials such books. Another example is
the authentic materials that have been selected in advance by teacher for examples records,
tapes and magazines. There are three materials, namely; metaphors, which needs published
materials, arguments for and against course book-based learning. Metaphors are also referred
as the Holy Book. Holy books are used by many teachers in the world. In the discussion of
the next point the scientists argue about the use of the book as the basis for the learning
process.

One scientist believes that although the book can help teachers in the learning process,
but the initiative of teachers about classroom problem solving will greatly depend on the
book. The selection of a textbook for students is very important. As we know, the course
book for the students is made by Ministry of Education. However, it doesn’t mean that course
book as appropriate as the students’ level in each region. So that, teachers have to do
evaluations of the course book. In other hand, it should be suitable as the learning and
teaching materials. In addition, the teachers have to suggest for the students to have the other
book
 In chapter two The author’s believes that we must be prepared for any conditions. The
author describes the various conditions we may experience and way out what we will take.
Such as the author describes, new head of English department must ensure that the course
book available at the time it needs to be ordered now .The author also present condition
where a director of a language school to choose the right course book for teachers and extra
staff are still young and relatively in experienced. The author also adds that teachers work in
an institution where teachers are free choose the books they teach with, then the teacher
should really be choosing the most appropriate books to find a variety of information from
various sources. The author explains what kind of information is needed in the selection of
course books.

In chapter three the author explains that Teaching a foreign language does not
necessarily mean teaching from a course book. However, using a course book is probably the
most common way of teaching English today. First of all, it is good to establish what the role
of course books in the learning/teaching process is or, better still, should be. Many
institutions present the syllabus in terms of the main course book to be used: by a certain date
teachers are expected to have covered a certain number of units in the book. Such an
approach obviously underestimates the role of learners, not taking their needs and specific
characteristics into consideration. Teachers simply have to struggle their way through a
certain number of lessons no matter how the learners respond. It is very important to realize
that a textbook is an aid, not a sacred text. Teachers should work out the best ways to use
their books but they should never let the book use them. Course books must be at the service
of teacher and learners, not their masters.

In chapter four, the writer explains the materials by dividing it into four parts. The
first part talks about ‘a course’. Stating that one very minimal definition of a course might be:
‘a planned series of learning events’. And then, explaining that the definition distinguishes
between a one-off event and a member of such events; it suggests that the events will be
linked in some way; it draws attention to the planning involved; and it specifies that one of
the intended outcomes in learning. The second part talks about ‘course book-based teaching’.
In this part, the writer tells that he believes most people would probably agree that if a course
does not have fairly specific aims, it may easily become aimless. He also explains how
teaching a book is very different from basing a course on a book. In the third part, the writer
talks about ‘syllabus, examination, course and book’. This part mainly talks about the non-
compatibility that often exists between course book and syllabus. The fourth part is titled
‘evaluation processes in lesson planning’. The writer shows four evaluative processes those
are subsequently involved when the lesson is to be based on a course book. Which are:
selection, rejection, adding, and changing.

Chapter five the writer describes that in supplementation, we need the course book to
reach the targets that users need. Course book can provide “coverage”. Using the authentic
materials, the skills of listening, speaking, and writing, the tasks include grammar structures
related to notions, and its function, some new vocabularies based on the themes/topic are
some needs in supplementation. Attention is needed in pronunciation and features of spoken
and written discourse. Supplementation consists of cognitively-motivated-supplementation
and affectively-motivated-supplementation. In cognitive-motivated-supplementation a single
course book can never met the need of specific class, even it has been designed carefully
because it’s an attempt to bridge the gap between the course book and official syllabus, the
demands of public examination, and students’ need. In affective-motivated-supplementation,
the learners need something more different than the teacher who comes to the class by say
greeting. For example, there is a time to make learners more fun through game, song, video,
etc.

In chapter six the author supposes teachers who use coursebook will sometimes to
supplement the book, such as providing a great text, if it is not included in the chapter, in
providing opportunities with others about materials means that the teacher is able to do more
than just establish a fertile environment for classroom learning so it can motivate the students
to learn and understand the object learning or material.

Chapter seven the authors tells us the cord point that Material should have the following
characteristic : Clearly stated objectives : to facilitate learners selection and indexing, clarity of
instruction : in a monolingual situation, the L1 might be used, attractive presentation : illustrations
and color can help to encourage learners to work with the materials, clear layout and pathways :
indicating how different components fit together and how these relate to other material, feasibility :
the scope of each unit of material should be limited so that it does not require a huge investment of
time and effort, support : to help learners to make sense of the materials, advice : on how to work with
the materials and a choice of procedure.

For chapter eight The most important in this chapter is how to educate teachers to
produce the materials which is used in classroom which attempt give positive energy to the
students in order to have good learning motivation, active, creative and contribute in group
solidarity. And of course it is very useful for the teachers raise awareness of teachers to
understand the difficulty individuals and groups. Core activities described in this chapter
tends to lead to increased motivation.

For chapter nine the author states that terms of the material students are
systematically evaluate more precisely the evaluation students at a certain level. In addition,
the material used must be known before hand advantages and disadvantages of the materials
used and in addition it must also know what the positive or negative impact that has been
taught to students. There are three things you need in a learning experiment the first is a close
relationship between the material in design by teachers and learners. Knowing to whom the
material was created and what the benefits are in need topical students from such material.
Both the material used should be more flexible so that it can be easier to change. In addition,
the time required and available resources should be taken into consideration.

For the last chapter the author focuses in learning materials and ideology. Ideology, like
culture, can be built into materials by design, as when a country wishes to promote a
particular set of national values. It may also be less conscious, but no less manifest, in the
nature of the reality depicted visually and verbally in materials, in the relationships and roles
envisaged for teacher and learner, and perhaps most subtly in the language selected for
inclusion. Ideology in this case is the creative students are required to use their own words
and their own thoughts jug. This lead them to the paradox that in ideological terms, there is,
thus, a clear tension apparent here in the ostensible aim in the provision of self-access
facilities and its realization in practice.

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