2.5 Materials Selection and Adaptation

CLIL Essentials

2.5 Materials selection and adaptation Trainer notes

2.5 Materials selection and adaptation Page 1 of 5

The British Council, 2010 The United Kingdoms international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this session participants will be able to:

analyse how much flexibility there is in their teaching situation for selection and adaptation of materials

analyse the effectiveness of classroom materials based on principles of CLIL (Content, Cognition, Culture and Communication)

adapt authentic materials more confidently using a variety of strategies

recognise different methods of focusing on content

focusing on content grading tasks adapting authentic material

KEY CONCEPTS

(dis)advantages of authentic materials adapting materials criteria for selection

What materials can you select? (the 4Cs) + Answer sheet.

What are some ways course books focus learners on content? + Answer sheet.

How to select authentic materials? (Part 1 & 2) + Answer sheet.

How do you adapt authentic materials? + Answer sheet.

Reflection: adapting your own authentic materials.

How do course books focus on content?

MATERIALS

Authentic materials (provided by either participants or trainer) for adaption.

Procedure

This session requires participants to come to the session with a piece of authentic material either from a published source or from a webpage that they can adapt for their learners. Trainers can either tell them beforehand to bring something or bring in some authentic materials for participants to choose from.

1 Learning Outcomes Outline the learning outcomes for the session and clarify any questions participants have.

2 Some ways books focus learners on content

Give out Participants discuss the questions. Feedback Elicit comments from the groups/pairs. This is an opportunity for

the trainer to reiterate the 4Cs.

Some possible answers for what criteria to look for in good classroom materials are:

clear and engaging,

appropriately graded to level, age interests, and culture of the learners,

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real, natural and up to date,

suits the syllabus and cognitive needs of the group,

includes opportunity for communication etc.

Tell participants they are now going to focus more on the Content principle of the 4Cs, specifically looking at ways course books focus learners on content. Give out What are some ways course books focus on content? Tell participants to look at the course book extracts.

Stick cut-ups How do course books focus on content? on the wall. Tell each group to appoint a runner. The runner runs to the information on

the wall, memorises it and tells the rest of the group. The group then select the course book extract that matches the ways of focusing on content and records the way beside the extract. If one group finishes first, tell them to brainstorm other ways of focusing on content.

Feedback - Show completed list on What are some ways course books focus on content? - Answer sheet and compare with participants ideas. Elicit other ways that course books focus learners on content.

Explain that the techniques they have just seen can act as models for successful adaption of other materials namely authentic ones.

3 How do you select authentic materials?

Point out that in the previous activity, the ways course books used to focus on content was examined. Here the ways authentic materials can be selected and adapted is examined. But first we need to look at the advantages and disadvantages of using authentic materials in the classroom.

Use flipchart paper or worksheet Part 1. Divide participants in two teams (one for advantages and one for disadvantages), each team must make a list supporting their side. Give a time limit of 3 to 5 minutes and see which team comes up with the most points.

Feedback - Teams quickly present their ideas to the group for an open discussion. Some possible answers are:

Advantages: interesting and motivating for learners, exposure to real life, encourages noticing of natural use of language, more up to date, variety (another medium, e.g. DVD), encourages confidence if handled properly.

Disadvantages: language not graded so challenging, time-consuming as have to develop graded tasks, copyright, equipment may not be available, expensive, and inaccessible.

Highlight here that there is a wealth of materials out there and there are many ways to adapt them for learners. However, in the practical teaching classroom, this can often be severely limited and hampered by the syllabus and the assessment system in place in the educational institution. Successful adaptation and supplementation requires time.

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Pair participants and tell them to think of some criteria they would use for selection of particular authentic materials for their classes. Tell them to think of a particular class to keep them specific. .

Give out How do you select authentic materials? part two. Tell them to work individually to complete the unjumbling task. When they finish, put them in pairs, tell them to peer check. Tell them to add any more ideas.

Feedback - Discuss answers with the participants and make notes of important points on the board/flipchart (e.g. learner centred, appropriate, helps meet aims). See How do you select authentic materials? - Answer sheet.

4 How do you adapt authentic materials?

Ask participants to brainstorm ideas/ways they adapt materials to make them more accessible to their learners. For example, underlining key words or adding visuals. Collect some ideas as a whole class (see the information box at the end of this stage).

Give out and ask participants to check the ideas they had that are in the table and ask if they need any of the methods in the table explained in more detail.

has an original piece of authentic text and an adapted version. Tell participants to compare the two versions and highlight where changes have been made.

Tell them to use the table to tick the methods that the teacher has used to make the original more accessible to the learners.

Peer check with another pair indicating not just the ticks but examples of where the adaptation methods have been applied by putting the number of the method next to the example in the text.

Feedback - Participants share their ideas with the group and then compare with the table in How do you select and adapt authentic materials? Answer sheet.

Ask participants to add any more strategies they can think of to their brainstorm from step one (see the information box at the end of this stage).

Some of the many strategies that can be used: personalisation; make a vocabulary glossary; develop pre-reading/listening tasks ( e.g. prediction tasks, brainstorm existing knowledge, pre-teach vocabulary, activate schemata); during reading/listening tasks (e.g. skimming and scanning comprehension tasks, match headings to paragraphs, true/false, multiple choice) and post-reading/listening tasks (e.g. choose correct summary, complete visual organiser, complete gap fill).

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5 Reflection: Adapting your own piece of authentic material

If you have previously asked participants to bring their own authentic materials ask them now to take them out. Otherwise, the trainer can provide their own authentic materials to distribute.

Group participants according to the subject or level they teach.

Get them to discuss problems learners may have with the materials and how they would adapt them using the strategies highlighted in this session. They must also produce a task sheet for their learners.

If you have time and the necessary resources, participants can do this task in class, otherwise assign it for homework. It can be done as group work or as individual work depending on the size and limitations of the group.

Feedback Both original and adapted materials are displayed round the classroom walls. Depending on time, either

o tell participants to walk around and evaluate the different adaptations then vote on the best one.

OR

o examine them in more detail and use the previous table in to identify which adaptation methods the various groups have used.

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How do course books focus on content? Cut-ups for How do course books focus on content?

variety of font styles and sizes activating prior knowledge classification task personalisation repetition of key vocabulary encouraging production of target language using visuals underlining key words including word banks including a glossary

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2.5 Materials selection and adaptation Participant worksheet



What materials can you select? Work in pairs. Discuss the questions below.

1. How flexible is your teaching situation in terms of your ability to select materials?

2. Are you restricted to the school textbook completely or can you supplement with other materials?

3. What criteria do you look for in classroom materials? Think about the 4Cs Culture, Cognition, Communication and Content.

Culture: Is the content appropriate to the group? Does it promote global or intercultural

understanding and awareness?

Cognition: Is the material engaging? Does it stimulate higher or lower order thinking skills? Does it meet the abilities and needs of the group? Does it promote a variety of learning skills and strategies?

Communication: Does it include opportunity for sharing or interacting? Is the content language

matched to the level of the group? Content: is the content obligatory language suitable to the level and age of the group? Is it relevant

to the syllabus/topic? Is the amount appropriate to the time allocated? Is it up to date and visually attractive? Are the tasks/instructions easy to follow?

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What materials can you select? Answer sheet Work in pairs. Discuss the questions below.

Answers will depend on your teaching situation. It is assumed though that most participants will be restricted in how much outside material they can bring into the classroom because of syllabus and time restrictions.

Culture: Is the content appropriate to the group? Does it promote global or intercultural understanding and awareness?

Cognition: Is the material engaging? Does it stimulate higher or lower order thinking skills? Does it meet the abilities and needs of the group? Does it promote a variety of learning skills and strategies?

Communication: Does it include opportunity for sharing or interacting? Is the content

language matched to the level of the group? Content: is the content obligatory language suitable to the level and age of the group? Is it

relevant to the syllabus/topic? Is the amount appropriate to the time allocated? Is it up to date and visually attractive? Are the tasks/instructions easy to follow?

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What are some ways course books focus learners on content? A geography class studying about Sri Lanka Look at the following extracts from a geography course book. Match the extract with the way it is focusing the learners on the content. Choose from the methods on the walls. Write the name in the space.

A Complete the table below before reading about Sri Lanka what I know / what I think I know / questions I have ...............................................

B

Write the names of these cities on the map: Colombo, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and Trincomalee. ...........................................................................

C Imagine you are visiting Sri Lanka. Which places would you visit and why? ................................................

D Sri Lanka is located to the south east of India in the India Ocean. It has a total area of 65,610 km, with 64,740 km of land and 870 km of water. Its coastline is 1,340 km long. Sri Lanka's climate includes tropical monsoons: the northeast monsoon (December to March), and the southwest monsoon (June to October). ..............................................................................

E Sri Lanka comprises many cities, towns and villages. The main cities include Colombo and Kandy. The main towns include Trincomalee and Nuwera Eliya. Examples of villages include Unawatuna and Baddegama. .........................................................

F The government has preserved sanctuaries for natural vegetation and animal life. In the southeast Ruhunu National Park protects herds of elephant, deer, and peacocks, and in the northwest Wilpattu National Park preserves the habitats of many water birds, such as storks, pelicans, ibis, and spoonbills. ..........................................................

G Read the passage and note information under the headings below:- flora and fauna / rivers / mountains .....................................................

H Name the main rivers, mountains and crops of Sri Lanka. .................................................................

I The government has preserved sanctuaries for natural vegetation and animal life. In the southeast Ruhunu National Park protects herds of elephant, deer, and peacocks, and in the northwest Wilpattu National Park preserves the habitats of many water birds, such as storks, pelicans, ibis, and spoonbills a sanctuary : a safe place to protect : to make safe a habitat : a place to live ............................................................

J nouns verb river protect city locate mountain preserve habitat grow herd farm .......................................................

Information taken from Wikipedia

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What are some ways course books focus learners on content? Answer sheet A geography class studying Sri Lanka Look at the following extracts from a geography course book. Match the extract with the way it is focusing the learners on the content. Choose from the ones on the walls of the classroom. Write the name in the space.

A Complete the table below before reading about Sri Lanka what I know / what I think I know / questions I have activating prior knowledge

B

Write the names of these cities on the map: Colombo, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and Trincomalee. using visuals

C Imagine you are visiting Sri Lanka. Which places would you visit and why? personalisation

D Sri Lanka is located to the south east of India in the India Ocean. It has a total area of 65,610 km, with 64,740 km of land and 870 km of water. Its coastline is 1,340 km long. Sri Lanka's climate includes tropical monsoons: the northeast monsoon (December to March), and the southwest monsoon (June to October). variety of font styles and sizes

E Sri Lanka comprises many cities, towns and villages. The main cities include Colombo and Kandy. The main towns include Trincomalee and Nuwera Eliya. Examples of villages include Unawatuna and Baddegama. repetition of key vocabulary

F The government has preserved sanctuaries for natural vegetation and animal life. In the southeast Ruhunu National Park protects herds of elephant, deer, and peacocks, and in the northwest Wilpattu National Park preserves the habitats of many water birds, such as storks, pelicans, ibis, and spoonbills. underlining key words

G Read the passage and note information under the headings below:- flora and fauna / rivers / mountains classification

H Name the main rivers, mountains and crops of Sri Lanka. encouraging production of TL

I The government has preserved sanctuaries for natural vegetation and animal life. In the southeast Ruhunu National Park protects herds of elephant, deer, and peacocks, and in the northwest Wilpattu National Park preserves the habitats of many water birds, such as storks, pelicans, ibis, and spoonbills a sanctuary : a safe place to protect : to make safe a habitat : a place to live glossary

J nouns verb river protect city locate mountain preserve habitat grow herd farm word banks

information taken from Wikipedia

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How do you select authentic materials? Part one What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using authentic materials in your classes? Make a note of these in the T chart below.

Advantages Disadvantages

Part two Here are some criteria for selection of authentic material. The sentences are mixed up. Write them in the correct order in the space below.

Criteria Correct order

1. the material syllabus content the of matches the

2. matches my the material learners interests the of

3. the adapt to will long material too take not

4. breaking I law not copyright am

5. accurate the is material unbiased and

6.

7.

Can you add any more?

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How do you select authentic materials? Answer sheet Part one Some responses are given below.

Advantages Disadvantages

interesting and motivating for learners

exposure to real life

more up to date than text books

bring another medium into the classroom (e.g. DVD, Video, internet)

encourages confidence if handled properly

language not graded so challenging

time-consuming as have to develop graded tasks for the materials

copyright

equipment may not be available

expensive if you have to make your own copies

Part two Here are some criteria for selection of authentic material. The sentences are mixed up. Write them in the correct order in the space below.

Criteria Correct order

1. the material syllabus content the of matches the The material matches the content of the syllabus.

2. matches my the material learners interests the of The material matches the interests of my learners.

3. the adapt to will long material too take not The material will not take too long to adapt.

4. breaking I law not copyright am I am not breaking copyright law.

5. accurate the is material unbiased and The material is accurate and unbiased.

6.

7.

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How do we adapt authentic materials? On the next page theres an original piece of authentic material and the adapted version. The teacher has a geography class and is teaching about the oceans. As the class is in Sri Lanka which recently had a tsunami, the teacher wants to add some material which will match the interests of the learners. Read both pieces of material carefully and then tick which of the methods of adaptation below the teacher has used.

Adaptation Method 1. adding visuals

2. omitting unnecessary detail

3. simplifying

4. paraphrasing language

5. personalisation

6. underlining key words

7. including word bank

8. classification

9. repetition of key vocabulary

10. encouraging production of target language

11. providing glossaries (L1/target language)

12. reordering to accommodate syllabus

13. activating prior knowledge

14. using a variety of layout and print designs

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A. Original taken from Wikipedia (underlined terms are links to other parts of the web)

A tsunami (?) (pronounced /(t)su n mi/) is a series of water waves (called a tsunami wave train[1]) that is caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, such as an ocean. The original Japanese term literally translates as "harbor wave." Tsunamis are a frequent occurrence in Japan; approximately 195 events have been recorded.[2] Due to the immense volumes of water and energy involved, tsunamis can devastate coastal regions. Casualties can be high because the waves move faster than humans can run.

Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (detonations of nuclear devices at sea), landslides and other mass movements, bolide impacts, and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.

The Greek historian Thucydides was the first to relate tsunami to submarine earthquakes,[3][4] but understanding of tsunami's nature remained slim until the 20th century and is the subject of ongoing research. Many early geological, geographical, and oceanographic texts refer to tsunamis as "seismic sea waves."

Some meteorological conditions, such as deep depressions that cause tropical cyclones, can generate a storm surge, called a meteotsunami, which can raise tides several metres above normal levels. The displacement comes from low atmospheric pressure within the centre of the depression. As these storm surges reach shore, they may resemble (though are not) tsunamis, inundating vast areas of land. Such a storm surge inundated Burma (Myanmar) in May 2008.

B Adapted version Task Sheet

1. Work with a partner. Complete the table below about tsunamis.

What I know What I think I know What Id like to know

2. Read the passage below quickly and underline all the different terms for a tsunami. 3. Read the passage again and complete the table below.

Causes of a tsunami Causes of a meteotsunami Difference between them

4. Answer these questions.

a. What nationality wasThucydides and what did he do? b. When was the storm surge in Burma? c. How many tsunamis has Japan had? d. What can be the result of a tsunami?

5. Do you know anyone who was in the Boxing Day tsunami? Interview them about it and bring the information back to class. If you do not know anyone who was there, do some research on the internet about the tsunami striking the south coast and bring the information back to class.

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Adapted material _______________________________________________________________

Tsunamis

A tsunami is a series of water waves that is caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, such as an ocean. The original Japanese term translates as "harbor wave." Tsunamis happen a lot in Japan; about 195 tsunamis have been recorded. Due to the large volumes of water and energy involved, tsunamis can destroy coastal areas. Casualties can be high because the waves move faster than humans can run. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions, landslides and other disturbances above or below water can all produce a tsunami.

The Greek historian Thucydides was the first to connect tsunami to submarine earthquakes, but understanding of tsunami's nature remained slim until the 20th century and is the subject of ongoing research. Many early geological, geographical, and oceanographic texts refer to tsunamis as "seismic sea waves."

Some meteorological conditions, such as deep depressions that cause tropical cyclones, can generate a storm surge, called a meteotsunami, which can raise tides several metres above normal levels. The displacement comes from low atmospheric pressure within the centre of the depression. As these storm surges reach shore, they may look like tsunamis, spreading across vast areas of land. Such a storm surge hit Burma (Myanmar) in May 2008.

Here are some definitions to help you. Words in purple bold are in the glossary. displacement :- movement from its normal place meteorological :- weather storm surge:- strong rolling movement caused by a storm slim: usually means thin; but here means not big submarine earthquakes :- earthquakes under the sea

_______________________________________________________________

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How do we adapt authentic materials? Answer sheet On the next page are an original piece of authentic material and the adapted version. The teacher has a geography class and is teaching about the oceans. As the class is in Sri Lanka which recently had a tsunami, the teacher wants to add some material which will match the interests of the learners. Read both pieces of material carefully and then tick which of the methods of adaptation below the teacher has used.

Adaptation Method

1. adding visuals 2. omitting unnecessary detail 3. simplifying 4. paraphrasing language

5. personalisation 6. underlining key words 7. including word bank

8. classification 9. repetition of key vocabulary

10. encouraging production of target language 11. providing glossaries (L1/target language) 12. reordering to accommodate syllabus ?

13. activating prior knowledge 14. using a variety of layout and print designs

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Work in groups who teach the same subject or level as you.

Look at the authentic materials you have brought to class or if not, the materials that your trainer has given you.

Discuss the following questions: Difficulties your learners may have with the material? Ways in which the materials could be adapted (refer to strategies from this

session) Adapt your materials for a particular group of learners and a particular place in your

syllabus (if applicable). Produce a work/task sheet to help learners focus on the content of the materials.

.

Reflection

2.5_Materials_selection_and_adaptation_Trainers_notes2.5_Materials_selection_and_adaptation_Participants_notes What materials can you select? How do you select authentic materials? How do you select authentic materials? Answer sheet( How do we adapt authentic materials?( How do we adapt authentic materials? Answer sheet

2.5 Materials Selection and Adaptation

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