Unit 24 - Selection and use of coursebook materials

How do we select and use coursebook materials?

Coursebook materials are all the materials in a coursebook package that we use in the classroom to present and practise language, and to develop learners’ language skills.

Strategies	Problems	Possible solutions
Extending material	The task or exercise is too short. The learners need more practice.	Write extra items, following the same pattern.
Shortening material	The task or exercise is too long. The learners don’t need so much practice.	Use as much as you need, but do not feel you have to use it all. Give different parts of the text or task to different learners.
Changing the methodology	The task doesn’t suit the learners’ learning style. You want a change of pace. The coursebook often repeats the same kind of task.	Change the interaction pattern, e.g. use a matching task as a mingling activity (in this case learners move around the class to find their partners).
Changing the level of the material	The texts or tasks are too easy or too difficult.	Make material more challenging, e.g. learners try to answer comprehension questions before reading. Make material less challenging, e.g. break up a long text into shorter sections.
Reordering material	The activities in the units in the book always follow the same sequence. The learners need to learn or practice things in a different order.	Change the order of the material, e.g. ask learners to cover up a pageor part of a page, so that they focus on what you want them to do first.
Making use of all the resources in the book	There is not enough practice material in a particular unit. The learners need to revise particular items. You want to preview material in a future unit.	Use extra material from the book: grammar summaries, word lists, lists of irregular verbs, etc. Give whole-book tasks, e.g. searching through the book for texts, pictures, language examples.

Reference:

Spratt, M., Pulverness, A., & Williams, M. (2012). The TKT Teaching Knowledge Test Course Modules 1,2 and 3 (Vol. Second edition). United Kingdom: Cambridge English.