Teaching Materials and the Roles of EFL/ESL Teachers Practice and Theory

Since the 1970s, there has been an increase in English language teaching materials. The last 15 years or so have correspondingly seen the publication of books concerned with the evaluation and design of such materials. It is therefore timely to consider what effect the availability of materials and the advice on offer has had on teachers' practice. Are they mediating between materials and learners in the ways advised by methodologists? Are they developing their own materials? This book explores these issues from three perspectives: those of the publisher/textbook writer, the specialist methodologist writing in the field, and that of the teachers themselves. At the heart of the book are the assumptions about the roles of EFL/ESL teachers, compared with their actual practices. The attitudes, knowledge and competencies needed to fill these roles are also discussed.This long overdue book will appeal to MA students in ELT and TESOL, especially those looking at material design, as well as researchers and practitioners in the area.

Introduction \ Part I: Teachers' roles, competences and needs: external perspectives \ 1. The publisher/coursebook writer perspective \ 2. The specialist perspective \ 3. The teacher educator perspective \ Part II: Teachers' practice \ 4. Choosing a coursebook \ 5. Planning courses and lessons \ 6. Adapting coursebook materials \ 7. Designing materials \ 8. Contextual influences on teachers' attitudes and practice \ 9. Learner responses to teacher practices \ Part III: Theory vs Practice: Implications10. Implications for publishers and coursebook writers and for teacher education \ 11. Implications for teachers \ Bibliography \ Index