Unit 25 · Selection and use of supplementary materials and activities

Supplementary materials are books and other materials we can use in addition to the coursebook — skills development, grammar, vocabulary and phonology practice materials, collections of communicative activities, teacher's resources, web materials and material from authentic sources. We select them by recognising that we need something different from the coursebook and by knowing where to find the most appropriate material, and we use them to supply what is missing, to give extra practice, or simply to bring something different to our lessons.

◆How do we select and use supplementary materials and activities?

Supplementary materialsThe books and other materials which teachers can use in addition to a coursebook, e.g. pronunciation practice materials. click to keep open · see glossary 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 may also come from authentic sources (e.g. newspaper and magazine articles, video, etc.).

Some coursebook packages include supplementary materials and activities specially designed to fit the coursebook syllabus, and websites where you can download supplementary materials. We select supplementary materials and activities first by recognising that we need something different from the material in the coursebook, and then by knowing where to find the most appropriate kinds of material. We use supplementary materials and activities to provide something that is missing from the coursebook, to give learners extra practice, or just to bring something different to our lessons.

◆Key concepts

Make a list of all the different reasons you can think of for using supplementary materials and activities, and any advantages or disadvantages you think supplementary materials may have.

There are various reasons why we might want to use supplementary materials and activities. Some of the main reasons are as follows:

• to replace unsuitable material in the coursebook
• to provide material missing from the coursebook
• to provide suitable material for learners' particular needs and interests
• to give learners extra language or skills practice
• to add variety to our teaching.

Coursebooks are organised according to a syllabusThis describes the language and skills to be covered on a course, and the order in which they will be taught. The content of a syllabus will be based on the writer’s beliefs about language learning. See curriculum. click to keep open · see glossary, and they are often carefully gradedI.e. grammatical structures, vocabulary, skills, etc. are presented in a logical or clear sequence for learning click to keep open · see glossary (i.e. grammatical structures, vocabulary, skills, etc. are presented in a logical or clear sequence for learning), so that learners' knowledge of the language builds up step by step through the book. Supplementary materials and activities can provide variety in lessons and useful extra practice, but they are not always graded, so it is important to make sure that we choose the right materials and activities at the right time. The right materials and activities fit into the learners' programme, are suitable for the class and match the aims for particular lessons.

◆Key concepts — advantages and disadvantages

Here are some of the possible advantages and disadvantages of using various kinds of supplementary materials:

◆Key concepts and the language teaching classroom

Read these tips and tick the ones which are most important for you.

Selection of supplementary materials and activities

• Get to know what supplementary materials are available in your school. Use observation, a questionnaire or interviews for analysis of your learners' needs (see page 78) at the beginning of the course to find out what you will want to add to the coursebook when you are planning your scheme of workA basic plan of what a teacher will teach for a number of lessons. Its aim is to try to ensure that lessons fit logically together, to give the teacher clear goals and to try to ensure a balance of language, skills, topics and activities over a number of weeks… click to keep open · see glossary.
• Supplementary language practice materials are not usually accompanied by teacher's books, and the aims of some activities may not be clear. Some materials and activities may look very attractive, but they may not be appropriate for the stage or the level that learners have reached. So it is always important to think about exactly how supplementary material will replace or improve on material in the coursebook.
• It may be useful to use authentic materialWritten or spoken texts which a first language speaker might read or listen to. They may be taken from newspapers, radio, the internet etc. The language in the texts is not adapted or made easier for learners or the language learning process. click to keep open · see glossary (which is not designed for a particular level), in order to give learners the experience of working with more challenging texts and tasks.
• The activities in materials designed to develop individual skills often include the use of other skills, e.g. learners need to read a text before they carry out a listening task, or to do some writing as a follow-up activity after a speaking activity. When selecting materials and activities, it is important for us to think carefully about all the skills that they require learners to use.
• Many publishers produce materials for practising separate language skills at different levels. Teacher's resource books, too, usually list tasks and activities according to level. Before we decide to use these materials, however, the first step is to consider how appropriate the level is for our learners, and to think about the language they will need to understand or to produce.

Use of supplementary materials and activities

• Learners get used to the methodology in their coursebook. If we are using supplementary materials with procedures that are different from those used in the coursebook, we may need to give special attention to instructions.
• We can adapt many supplementary materials for use with classes at different levels. The texts used in these materials may not be graded, but we can grade the activities by making the learners' tasks more or less challenging.
• Games and extra communicative activities can provide variety and make learning fun. But unless we think carefully about our reasons for using them, our lesson may not have a clear purpose. Older learners especially may want to know why they are doing these activities.
• In a mixed ability / mixed level class (i.e. one where learners are at different language levels), if the material in the coursebook is too easy or too difficult for some of our learners, supplementary materials and activities can also help us to provide appropriate materials for different learners. (This is known as differentiationTo make or see a difference between people and things. In teaching, this can have a special meaning relating to dealing with mixed ability or mixed level learners in one class. The teacher can provide different tasks, activities, texts or materials for differe… click to keep open · see glossary.) We can give different tasks to different groups, pairs or individuals which are more suited to their level.
• We may need to input new vocabulary or language patterns before we can use supplementary materials or activities. We just need to make sure our students have the language they need to make the best use of the materials or activities.

✎Follow-up activity

💡Reflect

🔍Discovery activities

✎TKT practice tasks

These multiple-choice tasks are exactly as in the book, but interactive: pick your answers, check your score, and retry anytime. The scoring uses the official answer key from the back of the book.

📖Glossary terms in this unit

Key terms highlighted in this unit — study them on the flashcards page.