Unit 25 - Selection and use of supplementary materials and activities

How do we select and use supplementary materials and activities?

Supplementary materials are books and other materials we can use in addition to the coursebook. They include skills development materials, grammar vocabulary and phonology practice materials, collections of communicative activities, teacher’s resources and web materials.

Supplementary materials	Possible advantages	Possible disadvantages
Class library of readers	Encourages extensive reading/ reading for pleasure Gives learners confidence Allows learners to choose	Need for range of levels to suit different learners Content may not be motivating for older learners
Skills practice books	Focus on individual skills	May not fit coursebook/ syllabus
Teacher’s resource books/ downloadable worksheets	New ideas for lessons	May not suit lesson aims
Websites	Variety of lesson plans, teaching materials, other resources	Sometimes difficult to find the right material for the learners School may not have enough computer stations Learners may not have computer skills
DVDs	Provide visual context Source of cultural information Show body language	Equipment may not always be available Language may not be graded (suitable for the level of the learners)
Language practice books	Extra practice Learners can work alone without teacher’s help	Repetitive exercises Little or no context
Electronic materials	Motivation Familiar technology for learners	Difficult for teacher to control how learners are working Little or no human feedback
Games	Enjoyment Language practice	May not be suitable for older learners Preparation may take a long time classroom management may be complicated

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.