Research for Materials Development in Language Learning: Evidence For Best Practice

(Paperback)

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This title examines current research in materials development and discusses their implications for the learning and teaching of languages. Recently there has been a dramatic increase in the attention given to materials development as an academic discipline. More universities are including modules on materials development on their MA in applied linguistics courses and more students are studying materials development in their PhD research. Yet to date there has been no publication focusing on reporting and discussing the results of research in materials development. This fills that gap, reporting on the results of recent research projects in materials development and discussing their implications for the learning and teaching of languages. The editors' introduction outlines the rationale, scope and objectives of the book and reviews previously published reports of research in materials development. There are concluding chapters which point out implications for second language acquisition theory and research methodology. The book features suggest applications of the reported research for materials development and proposals for future action in research in materials development for language teaching.

Reviews

This book fills the current gap in research on materials development and use. The 23 research studies reported are notable for their geographical spread and their topical scope. The book will be valuable as a source of up-to-date information, an inspiration for further research, and a stimulus for teacher development. -- Alan Maley, Visiting Professor, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
The book is far-reaching and forward thinking. It is unusual and very refreshing to find an edited volume with this breadth... Tomlinson and Masuhara have made a very significant contribution to scholarship in this area... This book should be made available to all student teachers preparing to teach English, both in adult and mainstream primary and secondary contexts.' -- Young Learners and Teenagers
[The book's] individual chapters will interest teachers working in a variety of contexts, and taken as a whole it gives an excellent overview of the current state of knowledge and research on best practice in materials development for second language teaching and learning. -- New Zealand Studies in Applied Linguistics, Volume 17, Issue 2

Author Bio

Brian Tomlinson is Professor of TESOL at Anaheim University, USA and Honorary Visiting Professor at the University of Liverpool, UK. He has worked in Japan, Indonesia, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, the UK, Vanuatu and Zambia, and is Founder and President of the Materials Development Association (MATSDA). Hitomi Masuhara is a Visiting Fellow at Leeds Metropolitan University, UK. She has worked in Japan, Oman, Singapore and the UK and has given conference presentations in over thirty countries. She is Secretary of MATSDA and has published many articles and books on materials development and on language acquisition.