Adapting-materials

4.AdaptingMaterials4.1IntroductionThischapterlooksatsomefactorstobeconsideredintheprocessofadaptingteachingmaterialswithinparticularclassroomenvironments.4.2TheContextofAdaptationAdecisionofadoptionisaninitialstep,wehavetodosomefurtheractions.But,howevercarefulthedesignofthematerialsandtheevaluationprocess,somechangeswillhavetobemadeatsomelevelinmostteachingcontexts.AsTomlinsonpointsout:•Nomatterhowgoodthematerialsare,theywillnotbythemselvesmanagetocatertothedifferentneeds,wants,learningstyles,attitudes,culturalnormsandexperiencesofindividuallearners.•Adaptationisaprocesssubsequentto,anddependenton,adoption.Thefinaldecisionwillbetakenatamanagerialpointintheschoolhierarchy.wecandojustsmaller-scaleprocessofchangingoradjustingthevariouspartsofacoursebook.Howcanwechange?Matchingexternalandinternalcriteria•Externalfactors:theovertclaimsmadeaboutmaterials,thecharacteristicsofparticularteachingsituations.•Internalfactors:content,organizationandconsistency.trytobringtogethertheseindividualelementsorcombinationsofthem,sothattheymatcheachotherascloselyaspossible.•Agoodteacherisconstantlyadapting.e.g.addsanexamplenotfoundinthebook.e.g.referstoanexercisecoveredearlier,orwhenheintroducesasupplementarypicture....•Adaptationisaprocessof‘matching’.Itspurposeistomaximizetheappropriacyofteachingmaterialsincontext,bychangingsomeoftheinternalcharacteristicsofacoursebooktosuitourparticularcircumstancesbetter.4.3ReasonsforAdaptingThesereasonswilldependonthewholerangeofvariablesoperatinginyourownteachingsituation.Youcancompareyourownreasonswiththoseinthefollowinglist.•Notenoughgrammarcoverageingeneral.•Notenoughpracticeofgrammarpointsofparticulardifficultytotheselearners.•Thecommunicativefocusmeansthatgrammarispresentedunsystematically.•Readingpassagescontainstoomuchunknownvocabulary.•Comprehensionquestionsaretooeasy,becausetheanswerscanbelifteddirectlyfromthetextwithnorealunderstanding.•Listeningpassagesareinauthentic,becausetheysoundtoomuchlikewrittenmaterialsbeingreadout.•Notenoughguidanceonpronunciation.•Subjectmatterinappropriateforlearnersofthisageandintellectuallevel.Herearesomereasonsforadapting:•Photographsandotherillustrativematerialsnotculturallyacceptable.•Amountofmaterialtoomuchortoolittletocoverinthetimeallocatedtolessons.•Noguidanceforteachersonhandlinggroupworkandrole-playactivitieswithalargeclass.•Dialoguestooformalandnotrepresentativeofeverydayspeech.•Audiomaterialdifficulttousebecauseofproblemstodowithroomsizeandtechnicalequipment.•Toomuchortoolittlevarietyintheactivities.•Vocabularylistandakeytotheexerciseswouldbehelpful.•Accompanyingtestsneeded.e.g.Thewholesocietyshouldvigorouslypromotethespiritofhardwork,encouragingpeopletorealizetheirdreamsandchangetheirfatethroughhonestwork,whileopposingnegativethoughtssuchasprofitingfromotherpeople'swork,opportunismandindulginginpleasureandcomfort.我们要在全社会大力弘扬劳动精神，提倡通过诚实劳动来实现人生的梦想、改变自己的命运，反对一切不劳而获、投机取巧、贪图享乐的思想。e.g.the19thNationalCongressoftheCommunistPartyofChina(CPC)e.g.Wheredidyougoonvocation?IwenttoNewYorkCity.e.g.Heremanypeopletrytokeepthemselvesawayfromgrowingoldbydoingexercisesorjogging,andwomenputonmakeup,hopingtolookyoung.WhenItoldthecoupleintherestaurantthatIrespecttheelderly,theygotangrybecausethiscausedthemtofeeltheyhadfailedtostayyoung.Ihadtoldthemsomethingtheydidn‟twanttohear.TorFHeremanypeopletrytokeepthemselvesawayfromgrowingoldbydoingexercisesorjogging.(T)•Allaspectsofthelanguageclassroomcanbecovered:(1)aspectsoflanguageuse(2)skills(3)classroomorganization(4)supplementarymaterialThankyou!