Page 133 - Teaching English at Primary Level: From Theory into the Classroom

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Language Learning Materials

Chapter Objectives
• Reflecting on the role of textbooks and other materials in teaching YLLs
• Identifying the advantages and disadvantages of using textbooks for
teaching English to YLs
• Understanding the importance of evaluating materials for teaching YLLs
• Becoming familiar with the criteria for evaluating FL materials and
textbooks

Oneofthecentralquestionsin theFLT isrelatedtotheuseofappropriatema-
terials. While there is a wide array of instructional material available to teach-
ers today, from flashcards, posters, story books to a variety of web sources,
the most commonly used FL material still seems to be the textbook (also re-
ferred to as the course book, student’s book, or activity book). In fact, we
could say that few teachers today enter the FL classroom without a course
book in their hands. But is this also the case in the YLs’ classroom?
Several authors (Ghosn, 2019; Tomlinson, 2012) have recently argued that
the textbook-based approach might be less appropriate for the pre-school
and lower primary school level, especially if it implies a formal, teacher-
fronted teaching style. Ghosn (2019) argues that typical course book texts,
such as dialogues, are often inauthentic and drill-based, which means that
YLs will find them less motivating and hard to identify with. In addition, tra-
ditional textbook-based instruction is less suitable for the first grades of pri-
mary school as children’s L2 literacy is not fully developed yet while they
might also still be struggling with L1 literacy. In selecting the appropriate
materials, it is therefore vital to take into account both the learners’ cogni-
tive development and their psycho-social-motor needs (Ghosn, 2019). Ellis
(2016, p. 216) argues convincingly that YLs should be provided with ‘plentiful
input, interactive input-based tasks and text-creation materials’ as they are
not yet able to perceive and appreciate language as ‘an object that needs
to be studied.’ Ghosn (2019, p. 385) thus proposes that materials for YLLs in-
corporate basic comprehension strategies, word study and spelling instruc-
tion, as well as modelling of the writing process. This implies that there are
clear benefits in using a variety of materials (such as picture books, games,
discovery-oriented texts, etc.) and approaches which do not comply with the
traditional textbook model, but which are focused on fostering motivation
for FL learning and maximizing learners’ exposure to L2 language in use. It

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