Criteria of Good Materials

b. Criteria of Good Materials

According to Tomlinson 1998: 7, there are several principles relevant to the development of materials for the teaching of languages. They are: 1 Materials should achieve impact. 2 Materials should help the learners to feel at ease. 3 Materials should help learners to develop confidence. 4 What is being taught should be perceived by learners as relevant and useful. 5 Materials should require and facilitate learner self- investment. 6 Learners must be ready to acquire the points being taught. 7 Materials should expose the learners to language in authentic use. 8 The learners’ attention should be drawn to linguistic features of the input. 9 Materials should provide the learners with opportunities to use the target language to achieve communicative purposes. 10 Materials should take into account that the positive effect of instruction are usually delayed. 11 Materials should take into account that learners differ in learning styles. 12 Materials should take into account that the learners differ in affective attitudes. 13 Materials should permit a silent period at the beginning of instruction. 14 Materials should maximise learning potential by encouraging intellectual, aesthetic and emotional involvement which stimulates both right and left brain activities. 15 Materials should not rely too much on controlled practice. 16 Materials should provide opportunities for outcome feedback. Others criteria of good materials are proposed by Hutchinson and Waters 1987: 107 as a guideline in writing the materials. 1 Materials provide a stimulus to learning. To encourage the learners to learn, good materials will contain enjoyable activities, opportunities for learners to use their existing knowledge and skills. 2 Materials help to organize the teaching learning process by providing an easily understandable knowledge of language to be learnt. Good materials should provide a clear and coherent unit structure which will guide teacher and learner through various activities in such a way as to maximize the chances of learning. 3 Materials embody a view of the nature of language and learning. The materials should reflect the writer think about what language learning consists of. 4 Materials reflect the nature of learning task. Materials should try to create a balanced outlook which both reflects the complexity of the task, yet makes it appear manageable. 5 Materials can have a very useful function in broadening the basis of teacher training, by introducing teachers to new technique. 6 Materials provide model of correct and appropriate language use. This is necessary purpose of materials. They are simply providing a good example of language use rather than become a tool for language learning.

c. Materials Design