Principles for designing materials

\

CONCLUSION

Teacher-developed materials boost not only effective learning settings and outcomes, but also teachers’ pedagogical practice/performance. On the one hand, students’ self-confidence and self-worth will be enhanced as a result of learning at their own pace, in their own styles, and in an enjoyable, non-threatening atmosphere that will keep their motivation up. On the other hand, opportune teachers’ decision-making will foster a harmonious and efficient development of their classes and the accomplishment of students’ learning objectives. Effective materials make learners feel comfortable and confident because both the content and type of activities are perceived by them as significant and practical to their lives. However, the teaching materials by themselves are not sufficient to create effective teaching and learning settings since a lively EFL/ESL classroom depends largely on good materials used in creative and resourceful ways. Therefore, in the materials designed, language teachers need to lead their students to have materials interact appropriately with their needs and interests in order to facilitate learning. There have been a number of movements which have attempted to develop materials free approaches to the teaching of languages and but it is commonly accepted that in most language classrooms throughout the world most lessons are still based on materials. Richards , for example, observes that “instructional materials generally serve as the basis of much of the language input that learners receive and the language practice that occurs in the classroom”. It is also commonly accepted that most language teachers use coursebooks and that no coursebook can meet the needs and wants of every (or even any) class. This means that “Every teacher is a materials developer” regardless of the depth of their relections, participants in this study have come to understand that, as stated by garton and graves, quoting edge and garton “the teacher’s purpose is not to teach materials at all: the purpose is to teach the learners and the materials are there to serve that purpose”. it is possible to say that the design of teaching materials in the teacher education process is not a solution for all challenges that teacher educators have, but it can certainly bring some inspiring contribution, as this study has shown, because it grants (student) teachers opportunities to have an active role in the planning, designing and redesigning of their own practice, considering situated contexts. Behind this discussion of materials looms the larger issue of teacher development and teacher responsibility; materials development is simply one more element within the larger concept of teachers taking responsibility for what happens in their classes. If we are to be reflective practitioners in the field of ELT, we need to consider all aspects of our teaching. I believe that preparing our own materials is one of these aspects.