How writers write:

Testimony from authors

Yi-Chun Christine Yang, Ph.D.
 What is material development?

• Material development refers to all the process made use of

by practitioners who produce and/or use materials for
language learning, including materials evaluation, their
adaptation, design, production, exploitation and research.
Ideally, all of these processes should be given consideration
and should interact in the making of language learning
activities.
 Writers’ perspectives in 1994

• Writing together
-Collaborative writing highlights the importance of team-building,
as well as divergences in working practices
-Team-working on coursebook is more like a marriage.
-The team of writers must meet first and agree on an overall
approach and methodology.
-Then they go away to write their own chucks.
-Then they meet regularly to comment on each other’s work
-They go away to improve their chunks with the benefit of the
feedback .
 Pros and cons of writing as a team

• Mismatches between individual working styles, individual

writing styles, unstandardized units, a longer than usual time
for decisions as we must give credit to everyone’s idea in
order to reach solutions agreed.

• Variety of ideas; wider range of information and

methodological sources;
different areas of interest, conceptions, and ideas.
 Different writers hold differential
perspectives regarding tam material writing

• Writers may bring materials from home and work together in the same
room and discuss when they have any questions about the materials.
• Some writers have negative experience working with those who are total
strangers. It is often a relationship full of stress and strains.
• Sometimes changes can be made without pedagogical considerations.
• Marco and micro-writing of materials:
-Marco-aspect: Sketching out the outline of the material as well as the
creative side.
-Micro-aspect: Doing the filling of exercises and activities; wording of
language references and other micros.
 Team writing

• A larger team cam draw on deeper reserves of energy and experience.

• Questions for discussion
1. If you had a chance to write teaching materials in EFL, would you
choose to work with a team or by yourself? Why?
2. What qualities do you think are important when selecting the
members for your team writing? Why those qualities?
3. Do you think you can work with others as a team of teaching
materials? Why or why not?
 The creative process
• Check the course design requirements
• Deciding which authentic contexts the target structures and/or
vocabulary , etc. to be covered.
• Ensure that communicative context is established.
• Put on screen all kinds of possible exercises and activities, type in the
input material
• Spend a lot of time thinking about the most suitable choice and order
• Write the lesson
 Writing process
• Most writers regard material writing to be in the same way as
writing fiction though they are constrained by the syllabuses.
• Different writers hold different views concerning the creation of
student and teacher materials. Some think it important to develop
student’s book and teacher’s resource books at the same time
especially when it comes to materials for young learners.
 Working with publishers
Stage Description
Initial stage • Research on new level-What is needed/gaps in other materials
• Meeting with co-author to discuss and draft basic rational.
• Creation of draft unit
• Submit rational/draft unit/proposed grammar syllabus to publisher
First draft • Send the first draft to 14 readers and trailers
• Obtain feedback on the first draft
• Megameetings with publishers
• Focus on the big issues
Second draft • Involve a lot of changes
• Finding new texts, cutting out presentations
• Adding other activities.
• The draft is also sent to readers for micro-level feedback.
• To get involved in briefing the person writing out workbook and Teacher’s book.
Third draft • Finishing unit writing and recordings
• Meetings with designers and editors
 Material design activity

• Work with your group members and write up an outline for teaching the
following target structures and vocabulary:
-I am David. What’s your name?
-I’m Don.
-Hi, Beth. How are you?
-I am fine, thank you. And you?
-What’s this?
-It’s a pencil.
-Vocabulary: book, pencil case, notebook, crayon, ruler, book bag,
eraser, ball pen.
• Target students: Beginners