LANGUAGE LEARNING MATERIALS
DEVELOPMENT
Module 1
MEANING AND GUIDELINES OF ADAPTATION
OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Introduction
This module deals with the basic concepts and meanings about the guides in
the adaptation of instructional materials. As you read this material, you will be able
to know the definition of adaptation of instructional materials. Likewise, you will know
more the guides in adaption of instructional materials. After the content discussion,
you are given exercises to work on. Towards the end of the module, you are tasked
to give your own reflections. All these activities will deepen your understanding in
adapting instructional materials. Read the guided questions carefully and do task
with sincerity and creativity.
As you journey on this lesson, you are expected to:
Learning Outcome:
Create a module where the guidelines in adapting instructional materials are
evident.
Learning Objectives:
1. Discuss Instructional Materials adaptation.
2. Create a module using the guidelines in the Adaptation of Instructional Materials.
3. Develop a sense of creativity and willingness in doing the activity.
Content Exploration
Are you ready for today’s lesson? This time, you are tasked to read the text below and be able
to comprehend it well.
Let’s Discover!
What is Adaptation of Instructional Materials?
Denotes the process of modification of the original composition of the material to
suit to the context of the intended learners. Adaptation is modifying primary source
documents so that all students can read and analyze them in their classroom. This
ushers alignment of the learning outcomes, learning content, learning activities and
assessment optimizing appropriacy and relevance. ( Standford History Education )
Materials adaptation “a general term for the process that involves making
changes to existing materials to better suit specific learners, teachers and contexts
for the purpose of facilitating effective learning. This may mean reducing mismatches
between materials, learners, teachers and contexts or making fuller use of the
potential value of existing materials” (Tomlinson & Misuhara, 2018, p. 82).
What is Instructional Materials?
Refer to those alternative channels of communication, which a classroom teacher
can use to concretize concept during teaching and learning process.
( Amadioha, 2009
What can learning materials offer students?
Offer both the opportunities and challenges for the students to communicate in
various contexts.
What is effective adaptation?
Is a matter of achieving congruence, among several related variable like the
teaching materials, methodologies, students, course objectives, the target language
and its content as well as the teacher’s own personality and teaching style. ( Mc
Donough and Shaw, 2003 )
What is Adaptation?
Is one or more of a number of techniques: supplementing, editing, expanding
, personalizing, simplifying, modernizing, localizing, or modifying
cultural/situational content.( Madsen and Bowen as cited in McGrath,2002 )
Adaptation, then, is a process subsequent to, and dependent on adoption.
Furthermore, whereas adoption is concerned with whole coursebooks, adaptation
concerns the parts that make up the whole”. ( McDonough, Shaw, and Masuhara
( 2013 )
What is the purpose of Adaptation?
- “to maximize the appropriacy of teaching materials in context, by changing some
of the internal characteristics of a course book to suit our particular circumstances
better.” ( McDonough, Shaw, and Masuhara ( 2013 )
It is worth getting to know the purposes of adaptation from McGrath’s point of
view:
“ to make the material more suitable for the circumtances in which it is used, to
compensate for any intrinsic deficiencies in the materials.” ( McGrath 2002: 62 )
Tomlinson ( 2012 ) also mentions another objective of adaptation:
“ to make the materials of more value to the students using them.”
REASONS FOR ADAPTATION
THERE MIGHT BE VARIOUS REASONS FOR ADAPTATION
MCDONOUGH, SHAW, AND MASUHARA (2013) OFFER THIS LIST:
Not enough grammar coverage in general
Not enough practice of grammar points of particular difficulty to these learners
Reading passages contain too much unknown vocabulary
Not enough guidance on pronunciation
Photographs and other illustrative material not culturally acceptable
Dialogues too formal and not representative of everyday speech
Cunningsworth (1995) seems to generally agree with the list above but adds
learner perspective to his list such as expectations and motivation.
Cunningsworth ( 1984) also focuses on how to change materials so that they
get the learners to do what the teachers want them to do.
POTENTIAL REASONS FOR ADAPTING MATERIALS
ARE LISTED BY CUNNINGSWORTH ( 1995, CITED IN ISLAM AND MARES 2003:88
Dynamics of the classroom
Personalities involved
Constraints imposed by syllabuses
Availability of resources
Expectations and motivations of the learners
Tomlison and Masahura (2004:12 ) summarize what factors may trigger
feelings of incongruence among teachers and offer the following list to take
into account when considering possible adaptations to materials:
Teaching contexts ( e.g. national, regional, instructional, cultural
situations )
Course requirements ( e.g. objectives, syllabus, methodology,
assessment )
Learners ( e,g. age, language, level )
Teachers ( e.g. teaching style, belief about learning and teaching )
Materials ( e.g. texts, tasks, activities )
Mishan and Timmis ( 2015. p.69 ) assert the point: It is interesting that
Tomlison and Masahura include teachers’ [Link] is certaintly true that
it is more difficult to teach with conviction if you yourself don’t believe in the
materials, but at the same time we need to be careful of projecting our own
preferences onto learners.
THE LIST POTENTIAL REASONS FOR ADAPTATION
BY ISLAM AND MARES ( 2003 )
To add real choice
To cater for all sensory learning styles
To provide more learner autonomy
To encourage higher level cognitive skills
To make language input more accessible
To make language input more engaging
About the reasons Islam and Mares ( 2003 ) consider for adaptation, Mishan
and Timmis ( 2015 ) believe that “it should be perhaps be noted in relations
to these aims that some are more easily achieved than other. Adding choice
and catering for different sensory learning styles may not, for example, be
easily achieved in large classes.”
WHAT SHOULD WE ADAPT?
McGrath (2013: 62-3) produces a list of potential elements that could be
adapted:
Language (the language of instructions, explanations, examples)
Process (forms of classroom management or interaction)
Content (topics, contexts, cultural references)
Level (Linguistic and cognitive demands on the learner)
HOW SHOULD WE ADAPT?
The prototypical process of adaptation would involve the following stages
(Tomlinson and Masuhara 2004: 15):
Profile of teaching context
Identifying reasons for adaptation
Evaluating the materials (in relation to a specific group or context)
Adapting
Listing objectives (for a specific group)
Teaching
Revising
Tomlinson and Masuhara (2004) note that “materials adaptation is rarely
researched or taught on teacher education courses, so teachers often have to
rely simply on experience or intuition.
McGrath (2013) notes that "adaptation can vary in timing.,
scale and focus: it can be carried out reactively in response to classroom
events or proactively before a lesson or course.
Adaptation can, McGrath points out, be at the level of activity,unit or course.
Islam and Mares (2003: 86) also stress the scope of the term 'adaptation':
"Materials adaptation can span a range of procedures from adding carefully
contextualised role plays
with the objective of providing more opportunities to communicate to not
finishing a pronunciation drill because of
As McGrath (2002) points out, adaptation is not a risk-free enterprise.
time constraints."
TECHNIQUES OF ADAPTATION
I. Adding
By this notion we mean materials are supplemented by putting more into
them
Two types of addition:
1. Extending supply more of the same material, in the existing framework
2. Expanding add to the methodology, developing new directions out of the
framework of the current materials.
II. Deleting or Omitting
The opposite of addition process:
Two types of deletion:
1. Subtracting reducing the length
2. Abridging has greater change
III. Modifying
Internal change in the approach or focus of an execise:
Two types of modifying:
1. Rewriting: when some of the content needs modification
2. Restructuring: applies to classroom management
IV. Simplifying: applicable to reading passages, a kind of modification (rewriting)
Features of simplification
- Coherent is retained
- Contain remained undistorted
What to simplify?
- Instructions
- Sentence and grammatical structures
- Explanations
V. Reordering
Putting the parts of a coursebook in a different order.
Here are the following guides when adapting instructional materials:
1. Choose a renowned and credible author.
A lot of authors contribute similar an differing ideas on that adaptation of
instructional materials. Read their credentials and give preference to those
acclaimed experts.
2. Ask permission/Acknowledge the author.
Simply acknowledge him/her in the adapted material. Once a permission
from the author is secured, you have the authority to adapt or use his/her
material. If this is not feasible, acknowledgement of the author will suffice.
3. Modify certain ideas to suit to your purpose and context.
Examine the suitability/alignment of the material to the desired purpose and
to the group of students, the feel free to make modifications.
4. Validate the material by experts of the field.
Make sure that the adapted material is reviewed by content experts. They
have ample knowledge about the validity and reliability of its content.
Remember, when you adapt a material, consider your preparation and
readiness to utilize the material for a learning engagement. Anticipate
scenarios when students challenge your competence. Be prepared for this.
Now that you have read the text above. It is expected that you are ready to
answer the following exercises. Please answer them with sincerity.
Try These!
Direction: Provide your answers briefly and concisely below.
1. What is the difference between adapting and adopting an instructional
material for language learning?
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2. Explain briefly the effective adaptation.
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3. Explain briefly the guidelines in adapting instructional materials.
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Directions: Write the guidelines in adapting instructional materials and its
importance.
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Let’s Apply!
Directions: Create your own module by following the guidelines in
adapting instructional materials.
Reflective Analysis
Directions: Write 4 most important things that you have learned from this
module. Limit your ideas to 200 words only.
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References:
Abao, E., Alda, R.C., & Bacus, R. C. ( 2001 ).
Tomlinson, B., & Masuhara, H. (2018). The complete guide to the
theory and practice of materials development for language
learning. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. Language learning
materials development, Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
Tomlison, B. ( 2003c): Materials evaluation. In B. Tomlison (ed)
Developing Materials for Language Teaching. London: Continuum,
15-36
. Tomlison, B. and H. Masahura ( 2004 ): Developing Language
Course Materials: Singapore: RELC
Materials and methods in ELT: a teacher’s guide/ Jo McDonough,
Christopher Shaw, and Hitomi Masahura – Third edition
Materials Development for TESOL, Freda Mishan and Ivor Timmis,
2015/ Edinburg University Press
Prepared by:
Reymark V. Corcoto
Jayvelyn C. Salvador