Developing a Principled Framework for Materials Evaluation: Some Considerations

Abstract

IntroductionPublished language materials are widely used around the world, but many Foreign Language (FL) and/or Second Language (SL) learners still fail to develop their communicative competence satisfactorily and they are still not happy with their language materials (Tomlinson 1998). Furthermore, materials design has recently been characterized by two important developments: firstly, published materials are now used more widely than ever before; secondly, and it is this which makes the spread of published materials very significant, materials themselves have evolved into much more complex objects (Littlejohn 1998). Therefore, there is a need to develop a principled framework for evaluating and developing the language materials in a comprehensive approach. In this article, I start the discussion with the importance of English language materials and the process of materials evaluation. After that I will elaborate on a potential design for developing a principled framework for materials evaluation. Implications of the framework and its contribution to the field of applied linguistics have been also elaborated. doi:10.7575/aiac.alls.v.1n.2p.281 282 English Language MaterialsEnglish may be the most dominant language in the world and used for a variety of purposes such as educational and commercial purposes. McKay (2002) discusses the reasons for the spread of the English language, for example, English language is the key in the global sense because it enables countries to discuss and negotiate political, social, educational and economic concerns. It is learned by more and more people so it is potentially central to a growing global economy and it plays a very important role in the economic development of the country.The term "materials" may mean anything which can be used to facilitate the teaching and learning of a language (e.g., Richards and Schmidt 2002). In many countries, the coursebook might be the most important element within English language materials and so I provide a brief discussion about its potential usefulness and purposes. Wala (2003), for example, argues that the coursebook is necessary language and coursebooks do not exist in a vacuum they exist for and are shaped English language coursebooks, therefore, are multi-purpose tools i.e. they can be used for a different variety of purposes such as:Developing language learning effectively (e.

An Analysis of English Language Theories: A Case Study

“…), and this necessitates a means of analysing the textbooks. Alkhaldi (2010) also indicates that the strengths and weaknesses of English language theories can be assessed according to their theoretical and pedagogical strengths. As a result, this research aims to identify the strengths and weaknesses of commercial textbooks used in a real environment and to provide the researchers and teachers with a database for professional training purposes.…”

“…It is necessary to note that the term 'language materials' has several definitions (Alkhaldi, 2010). The textbook is the main component of the materials, and the researchers of this study use the term 'materials' to refer to the textbook(s).…”