Instructional Materials Theoretical Description
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textbook provides a framework for the teachers, helps the teachers achieve the goals of the course, and also serves as a guidance for the teachers when conducting a
lesson as cited in Rahimpour, 2013. There are six roles of materials in language teaching as defined by
Cunningsworth 1995, p. 7. The first is as a resource for presentation materials in spoken and written. The materials are provided for the students both in the forms
of spoken and written. The second is as a resource of activities for students ’ practice
and communicative interaction. The students can practice the language through the activities which are provided by the materials. In addition, it leads to a
communicative interaction among the students. The third is as a reference source for learners on grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. The materials become one
of the guidelines in the language content. Thus, if there is a mistake in the materials, it will cause misinterpretation among the students. The fourth is as a source of
stimulation and ideas for classroom activities. The materials supply ideas that can be used in the learning process. The fifth is as a syllabus. The materials reflect the
learning objectives that have already been determined. Those materials are the implementation of the objectives. The last is as a support for the less experienced
teachers who have yet to gain confidence. The materials help the less experienced teachers prepare and conduct the learning process.
There are some advantages of using commercial textbooks in teaching and learning process as stated by Richards 2001, p. 254. The first is that a textbook
provides structure and a syllabus for a program. The textbook helps the teachers in maintaining the syllabus that has been systematically planned. The second is that a
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textbook helps standardize the instruction. The textbook can be used in different classes and it will help the teacher in assessing the students. The third is that a
textbook maintains quality. A well-developed textbook leads the students to the appropriate pace of the learning process. The fourth is a textbook provides a variety
of learning sources. A textbook is often accompanied by workbook, cassette, and a comprehensive teaching guide. The fifth advantage is textbook
’s efficiency. The textbook assists the teachers in saving their time for making the materials. The sixth
is textbook provides effective language models and inputs. A textbook supports the teachers who may not be able to generate accurate language input on their own. The
seventh is textbook can train teachers. The less experienced teachers can use teacher’s manual provided by the textbook which can serve as a medium of initial
teacher training. The last is the visual appeal of the textbook. A commercial textbook usually has high standard of design.
The theories above show that material --in this case is workbook-- has some advantages and plays an important role in a language teaching. A workbook gives
an impact for both the teachers and the students. For teachers, a workbook functions as a partner to help them deliver the materials to the students. As well, for the
students, a workbook also functions as a partner to help them review the materials at home, deepen their understanding through the exercises, and also as a record of
their progress.