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

(Hardback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Teaching Materials and the Roles of EFL/ESL Teachers is published amidst a decade long increase in academic publications and training courses concerned with the evaluation and design of English language teaching materials. It is timely to consider what effect the advice on offer has had on teachers practice. Are teachers evaluating materials carefully, using textbooks in the ways expected by textbook writers, developing their own materials, and mediating between materials and learners in the ways advised in the professional literature The book explores these issues from a variety of perspectives. The views of publishers/textbook writers, those contributing to the professional literature, and teacher educators are synthesised to establish a theory of how teachers can best fulfil their roles vis--vis materials and learners. This is then compared with practice, as represented by published accounts of teachers actual practices and learners perspectives. The conclusion reached is that teacher education in materials evaluation and design is essential and suggestions are offered as to the form this might take. The book is intended particularly for MA students and teacher educators concerned with materials evaluation and design, but is of interest to all those concerned with the publication and use of English language teaching materials.

Reviews

Teaching Materials and the Roles of EFL/ESL Teachers: Practice and Theory is aimed at postgraduate students and would be an ideal core text for a module on materials development. -- Rachel Wicaksono, York St John University, UK * Times Higher Education *
[A] valuable resource for postgraduate students, researchers, and teacher educators in the area of TESOL. What it reveals about how coursebooks are actually used will also make it salutary reading for publishers and coursebook writers. With his measured tone and a balanced approach which takes into consideration all sectors of the language teaching community, McGrath gives us a very readable, thought-provoking, and welcome addition to the steadily growing body of literature on materials development. -- Freda Mishan, University of Limerick, Ireland * ELT Journal *
McGraths book ... provides a safety harness for the inexperienced teacher while offering the more seasoned teacher an opportunity to rethink and refresh perspectives held towards materials development and design ... A useful resource for all teachers and teacher educators. * Australian Review of Applied Linguistics *
A strength is that the author brings together perspectives of materials, teachers, learners, contexts, and teacher education that other similar texts often deal with in a less than adequate way. The book succeeds as a primer for those seeking to explore different elements of materials evaluation and design. I would even suggest that the current text is a must-read resource for pre-service teachers and in-service teachers as well as those interested in language materials evaluation and development. -- Handoyo Puji Widodo, University of Adelaide, Australia * System *
[An] excellent review of past and current research in textbook use. -- Jesus Garcia Laborda, Universidad de Alcala, Spain * Modern Language Journal *
In itself, this is an extremely practical set of suggestions for teachers to consider ... My own (long) experience in working with teachers from many backgrounds supports McGraths contention that many lack a clear understanding of how to systematically evaluate the materials they use, and often are obliged to use. His book is well-organised, clearly written and thought provoking, and McGrath provides a clear rationale and framework for the professional development of teachers in the area of materials selection, evaluation and adaptation. I highly recommend it to future and practising teachers and especially to those responsible for advising and teaching them. -- Roger Barnard, University of Waikato, New Zealand * Modern English Teacher *
This book is a must-read for EFL/ESL teachers and those who educate them. McGrath, as one of the leading scholars in the field addresses an area of materials development which seems to have been under-represented in the literature by giving more voice to teachers. * Australian Journal of Linguistics *
Ian McGraths book examines the roles and types of agency that teachers may exercise by drawing on a remarkable body of research ... Teachers are invited to become critical users of course books and active agents of change I highly recommend the book. -- Dario Luis Banegas * MEXTESOL Journal *

Author Bio

Ian McGrath has been an Associate Professor at universities in the UK, Hong Kong and, most recently, at the National Institute of Education, Singapore. He is the author of Materials Evaluation and Design for Language Teaching (Edinburgh University Press, 2002).