There are three strategies to develop curriculum materials, Now we are going to talk about them:
Strategy One : ADOPTING MATERIALS
Adopting materials in a rational manner is not as easy as it might at first appear.
1) First, it is necessary to decide what types of materials are desirable.
2) Second, all available materials of these types should be located just in case they might prove useful.
3) Third, some form of review/evaluation procedures must be set up to pare this list down to only those materials that should be seriously considered so that filial choices can be made.
4) Fourth, some strategy for the regular review of these adopted materials must be set up to make sure that they do not become irrelevant to the needs of the students and the changing conditions in the program.
Deciding on Types of Materials
To adopt the materials, the curriculum developer must take decisions concerning which types of materials are suitable. Materials can also be based on many different approaches and can be organized around a number of different syllabuses. Materials can also be presented on a number of media and take many physical forms on any one of those media.
The following list of possible media for materials may help with these deliberations:
books teachers books
Workbooks magazines
journals pictures
maps charts/graphs/diagrams
cassette tapes
genuine video / disc / computer combinations
video tapes (language, authentic, computer software
Locating Materials
Three sources of information immediately spring to s mind that can help in finding existing materials that might be suitable: publishers' catalogs, books received (sections of journals), and teachers' shelves.
Publishers' catalogs
include addresses for some of the most famous publishers of ESL materials. Many of these publishers also produce materials for other languages, so catalogs' list should provide at least a starting point for any language teacher looking for published materials.
To make even a short list of candidates for materials that might be adopted, hands-on examination is necessary. Most publishers are happy to send teachers desk copies of their materials. A desk copy is a textbook, manual, workbook, or other form of material sent free Of charge for consideration by teachers who might adopt the material in their courses. The teacher may usually keep a desk copy even if student copies are not subsequently ordered.
Examination copies, also called review copies, are also sent so that they can be considered for adoption in courses. However, examination copies are only free of charge if the teacher subsequently orders the material(s) for his or her students within a certain number of days (usually 60 or 90 days).
Remember that publishers' catalogs are designed to sell language teaching
materials. Hence they will best be used as a source list of available materials, not as the definitive word on the quality or those materials.
Another source of relatively up-to-date information on language materials is the "Books Received" section that is found in many of the prominent language teaching journals. These "Books Received" are usually listed near the back of a journal/Such listings are usually fairly current. However, since such lists include only the author, title, and publisher, sending for desk or review copies will still be necessary.
One last source of information about materials should not be overlooked. The teachers' shelves within the program may be full of materials that could prove interesting and useful. More to the point, teachers are more likely To have experience with materials they already own.
Evaluating Materials
Whether materials are found in publishers' catalogs, "Books Received" sections of journals, or teachers' shelves, firsthand examination will eventually be necessary to
determine the suitability of the materials for a particular program. This process might safely be called materials evaluation.
The "reviews" in professional journals and newsletters typically reflect only the views of one individual. If possible, seek out two or three reviews or a book or other materials. One review can be helpful, but a number of reviews will offer a more comprehensive picture of the book or materials under consideration. It is also a good idea to establish a file of reviews that might be of interest to program faculty and administrators.
Firsthand review of materials is clearly the' most personal and thorough method for evaluating them. Stevick suggested that materials should be evaluated in terms of qualities, dimensions, and components as follows:
a) Three qualities: Strength, lightness, transparency (as opposed to weakness, heaviness, opacity)
b) Three dimensions: Linguistic, social, "topical"
c) Four components: Occasions for use, sample of language use, lexical exploration, exploration of structural relationships.
Brown suggests a checklist that contains more detail. It considers materials from five
perspectives: background, fit to curriculum. Physical characteristics, logistical characteristics, and teachability. All of these judgments can be made only with the materials physically in hand.
the checklist materials background refers to nation about the author's and the publisher's credentials. It considers also. the amounts and types of experience the author has had in teaching and administration, as well as in curriculum and materials
development.
Logistical characteristics might include such mundane (but important) issues as the price and number of auxiliary parts (that is, audiovisual aids, workbooks, software, unit tests, and so forth) that are required, as well as the availability of the materials, time that it will take to ship them, and the like.
Finally, the teachability of the materials should be appraised. This decision may hinge on whether there is a teacher's edition; an answer key, annotations to help teachers explain and plan activities, unit reviews, and so forth. It is also important to ask the teachers if they think the set of materials will work and is otherwise acceptable to them.
Ongoing Review of Materials
Even after a set of materials is in place for each course, the materials evaluation process must continue while they are being used, as well as after each implementation period. Teachers can keep notes on their reactions to the materials as they use them. Such notes can be as simple as scribbling in the margins of the teacher's edition, or as formal as typed reviews of the materials in question.
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