Workshop Reading

Materials Evaluation, Adaptation
and Design Day 3

Adapting and designing
materials
Day 3
Sessions 1 and 2
Principles of materials adaptation

Applying the principles to Reading skills
Day 3
Session 1
Principles of materials adaptation

What is adapting?
External and internal criteria
Adapting is a process of matching what we have to

work with (external criteria) and what the materials
offer (internal criteria) to maximise teaching materials
in a context, and the starting point of the process is the
realisation, through an evaluation, that materials may
not be fit for their intended purpose.
What is adapting?
External and internal criteria
Learners’ characteristics Class size Technology

Physical environment Choice of topic Proficiency level
Skills covered Methodology Other resources Sequential order of
exercises
What we have to work with What the materials offer

(external) (internal)
Analysing Material
INTERNAL
What internal considerations might you need to take i
nto account for your context?
EXTERNAL
Which external considerations might you need to take
into account for your context?
Handout 1
Key elements for Preschool and Primary
• Lots of guidance
• Variation of focus and activities to help concentration
spans
• Step-by-step approach
• Continued support from teacher
• Encouragement of creativity and spontaneity
• Multi-sensory tasks (visual, kinaesthetic, auditory)
• Activities which are short and visual
• Active participation
• Support through a clear example
Primary
Other key considerations for a communicative approach at this age group

are:
• active and varied participation

• support through a clear example
• encouraging co-operative learning
• teacher monitoring and guiding.
‘Children’s foreign language learning depends on what they experience. If

we want children to develop certain language skills, we need to ensure
they have experience in lessons that will build on those skills.’
-Lynne Cameron (2001) Teaching Languages to Young Learners, CUP

Secondary key components
content
concepts communication
CONNECTIONS
commitment challenge
creation curiosity co-operation collective

Secondary and Post-Secondary
The key components of a communicative approach at this

age group are
• Collaborative problem solving

• Finding ways to tackle…
• Evaluating information
• Reading between lines
A communicative classroom
Decide which words or expressions relate to a communicative

classroom
active learners passive learners
teacher controls teacher monitors
focus on pairs and groups the classroom can be noisy
the classroom is always quiet dependent on teacher
focus on autonomy lots of learner co-operation
lots of correction
Why Adapt?
Some of the main reasons for adapting are to
• add real choice

• cater for learning styles
• adjust the level of the material
• include more autonomy for the learners
• develop thinking skills
• modernise through the use of technology
• make the input more enjoyable
• differentiation
• change pace
• provide variation
• include local context
• increase student to student interaction.
What do we adapt?
The content
The level
The process
The language
How can we adapt?
ADDING MODIFYING
DELETING SIMPLIFYING
RE-ORDERING
An example
Read the instructions for the exercise types

with a class of learners on festivals and
celebrations. Then discuss the questions
with a partner.
What areas from the lesson description might

benefit from adaptations? Why and what
kind of adaptations?
Handout
3a/3b
Adaptation
What forms of adaptation would you need to

focus on in a Malaysian context?
Discuss with your

partner
Day 3
Session 2
Applying the criteria to reading

Communicative language teaching and
reading
Read the paragraph below about communicative language teaching

and the implications for reading. What implications does this
have for your teaching context?
When we
think of a
Reading activities, purposes and strategies
What is the difference?

Can you think of
some examples?
Reading activities
Reading purposes Reading strategies

Reading
Reading Activities
website signs instructions notes correspondence
Reading Purposes
pleasure specific information gist general
orientation detailed understanding
Reading Strategies
skimming scanning predicting inference
Reading progress
How do native speakers read the following?
a book you see in a bookshop you might buy

a train or bus timetable
a newspaper to see what’s on TV.
Reading strategies: Secondary/Post
Secondary
Skills involved include:

perceptual skills
inferencing
predicting
using imagination
rapid scanning
referring back and forth
interpreting and drawing conclusions
guessing from context
using prior knowledge to help understanding.
Reading support
Labels
Posters
Messages
Reading aloud
Focusing on reading fluency
Running dictation
Story books or comics
Creating backstories
Creating a class binder
Adapting a text
Imagine you want to use the text in Handout 1 with a group of

Secondary students. The text is B2 level and your
students are B1 but you really like the theme of the
text and you know your students would like it a lot so
you decide to adapt it. Which of the strategies below for
adapting the text would you use?
Rewriting the text to simplify

Reducing the length of the text
Finding a different text about the same topic
Dividing the text into manageable blocks
Adding pictures to help understanding
Labelling a diagram
Text or task?
What other modifications could we use inst

ead of rewriting the text?
e.g. Pre-teach vocabulary

Change the task
Extend tasks after reading
Handout 5
Working with weaker learners
Support for weaker learners
Pre-teach difficult vocabulary

If there are gaps, give students the answers
in a jumbled order
Draw attention to the title, pictures etc.
Set the scene beforehand
Break the text into chunks
Give the option of only reading some of the
text
Working with stronger and weaker learners
Extension (post) activities for stronger students
Ask early finishers to write new vocab up on the

board with definitions
Rewrite a part of the text in a different tense /
person
Write their personal opinion / a short summary of the
text
Can you remember?
Handout 6
1. What are the key aspirations for English
language learning in Malaysia regarding
Reading skills?
2. What are the key challenges to

developing Reading skills in Malaysia?
3. What level would you like to
focus on when adapting materials?
Why?
Any queries?
Do you have any

questions?
Day 3
Session 3
Analysis and application: Apply the

framework in sector groups
Considerations for sector groups
Which are more relevant for your teaching situation?
Can you add more areas for consideration for your

learners?
Handout 7
Analysing the text
Look at the material and answer the questions:
What does it focus on?

What are the positive points of the material?
How do you think your learners would respond to
the material?
Handout 8
Adapting material
Material A is for Preschool. The learners are a large

group of mixed ability and mixed ages.
Material B is from a coursebook for A1 Primary

learners. Imagine you have to use this material
with one of your classes which is a group of
pre-A1 learners.
Material C is from a coursebook for B1 secondary

learners. Imagine you have to use this material
with one of your groups which is a mixture of
Day 3
Session 4
Adaptation continued
Handout 9
Presenting the reading task
Reflection
Reflection
Did you find it difficult to make decisions about any

of the adaptations?
Which one(s) do you feel more satisfied with?
If a teacher had to choose one of the adaptations,

which one would you suggest?

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Materials Evaluation, Adaptation

and Design Day 3

Principles of materials adaptation

Principles of materials adaptation

Adapting is a process of matching what we have to

Learners’ characteristics Class size Technology

What we have to work with What the materials offer

Other key considerations for a communicative approach at this age group

• active and varied participation

‘Children’s foreign language learning depends on what they experience. If

-Lynne Cameron (2001) Teaching Languages to Young Learners, CUP

creation curiosity co-operation collective

The key components of a communicative approach at this

• Collaborative problem solving

Decide which words or expressions relate to a communicative

Some of the main reasons for adapting are to

• add real choice

Read the instructions for the exercise types

What areas from the lesson description might

What forms of adaptation would you need to

Discuss with your

Applying the criteria to reading

Read the paragraph below about communicative language teaching

What is the difference?

Reading purposes Reading strategies

How do native speakers read the following?

a book you see in a bookshop you might buy

Skills involved include:

Imagine you want to use the text in Handout 1 with a group of

Rewriting the text to simplify

What other modifications could we use inst

e.g. Pre-teach vocabulary

Support for weaker learners

Pre-teach difficult vocabulary

Extension (post) activities for stronger students

Ask early finishers to write new vocab up on the

2. What are the key challenges to

Do you have any

Analysis and application: Apply the

Which are more relevant for your teaching situation?

Can you add more areas for consideration for your

Look at the material and answer the questions:

What does it focus on?

Material A is for Preschool. The learners are a large

Material B is from a coursebook for A1 Primary

Material C is from a coursebook for B1 secondary

Did you find it difficult to make decisions about any

Which one(s) do you feel more satisfied with?

If a teacher had to choose one of the adaptations,

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