Summary Unit 24

Selection and use of supplementary materials and activities

What are supplementary materials and activities?

• Books and other materials or activities we can use in addition to the course book to complement and enrich our class.
• They include skills development materials, grammar, vocabulary and phonology practice materials, collections of communicative activities and teacher´s resource materials.
• They may also come from authentic sources (newspapers, magazines, videos, etc.)

Why use supplementary materials and activities?

• To replace unsuitable material in the course book.
• To fill in the course book.
• To provide suitable materials for learners´particular needs and interests.
• To give learners extra language or skills practice.
• To add variety to our teaching.

Important:

• Before deciding to use these materials, you should check how appropriate the level is for your learners.
• Think about the language they will need to understand or to produce.
• If you are using supplementary materials with different procedures, you need to give special attention to the instructions.
• You can adapt many supplementary materials for use with classes at different levels.

Making materials.

• Choose a language point for which you want to make your own learner tasks, preferably having in mind a course or class you know.
• Make a sample worksheet or work card.
• Exchange your resulting materials and discuss.