The document discusses creating materials that have good "flow" for learners. It defines flow as having clear objectives, easy navigation, a clear beginning and end, logical continuity between activities, engagement, appropriate challenge, learner control, and set up for success. It provides tips for achieving each of these elements, such as using SMART objectives, consistent formatting, building on skills, and offering choices. The key is to choose one area to focus on at a time to avoid trying to change everything at once. Maintaining flow is important for keeping learners engaged and making sure materials are effective.

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Creating materials that flow
Sandy Millin
7th October 2023
IATEFL Hungary
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflhungary
Why?
What?
How?

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Unpublished MA dissertation research, Sandy Millin, Dec 2022-Jan 2023
58 out of 124 respondents
said
creating materials that flow in a logical way
is an important skill in materials writing

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What do we mean by ‘flow’?
Definitions from Cambridge / Oxford online dictionaries (my highlighting)

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Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow
Clear goals
Immediate clear
feedback
Total focus on task
Balance between
skills and challenge
Sense of control No worry of failure
Altered perception
of time
Action and
awareness merged
The activity is
an end in itself
Adapted from various online sources

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And ‘flow’ in materials writing?
1. Clear objectives and activity aims
2. Easy for learners and teachers to navigate
3. Sense of direction: Clear beginning, middle and end to the materials
4. Continuity: One activity flows logically into the next
5. Engaging and enjoyable for learners and teachers
6. Challenges learners
7. Gives learners a feeling of control
8. Sets learners up for success
Combining John Hughes (2014) and my own ideas

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1. Clear objectives and activity aims
 Objective = what the materials as a whole should help learners to achieve
 Communicated concisely to users of the materials
 If you don’t know where you’re going, how do you know when you’ve got there?
 Activity aims = how each activity contributes to the objective and moves
learners towards it
 Providing step-by-step support to achieve the objective(and improve further, if
time)

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1. Clear objectives and activity aims
SMART:
 Specific
 Measurable
 Achievable
 Realistic
 Timed
For learners:
 I know what I have to do
 I know how to assess my progress
 I can achieve this (perhaps with help)
 This will help me in the real world
 I can do this in the time available to me
+ each activity will help me to improve

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2. Easy for teachers and learners to
navigate
 Headings: clear, unambiguous
 Numbering
 Activities
 Questions
 Referencing to:
 Grammar notes
 Vocabulary lists
 Other exercises
 Instructions / Rubrics
 Consistent wording
 Consistent fonts (bold?)
 Accompanied by examples
 Layout
 Uncluttered
 Clear contrasts between colours
 Easy to read fonts / text sizes
 Teacher’s notes and answer keys!
Combining John Hughes (2014) and my own ideas

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3. Sense of direction: Clear beginning,
middle and end to the materials
Can I see
where I should
start and why?
What are the
next steps I
need to take?
How will I
know when
I’ve finished?

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4. Continuity: One activity flows logically
into the next
Have you ever used materials where…?
 The topic keeps changing: one minute you’re talking about holidays, then food,
then learning languages, then…
 There are sudden jumps of focus with no obvious links: from reading, to
grammar practice, to learning some new vocabulary, to writing…
 Learners are asked to suddenly start reading, listening, speaking or writing, and
with little to no support to complete it successfully

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Don’t do that! Do this…
 The topic keeps changing: one minute you’re talking about holidays, then food,
then learning languages, then…
 There are sudden jumps of focus with no obvious links: from reading, to
grammar practice, to learning some new vocabulary, to writing…
 Learners are asked to suddenly start reading, listening, speaking or writing, and
with little to no support to complete it successfully
4. Continuity: One activity flows logically
into the next
Stick to a consistent topic throughout the set of materials and throughout each
activity.
If you write materials which integrate skills and language, make sure they all
contribute to the overall aim. No grammar / vocab ‘just because…’!
Provide support (‘scaffolding’) for skills work.
For all skills = lead into the topic first.
For writing/speaking = thinking time, useful language, time to upgrade.
For reading/listening = develop skills, don’t just test them.

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5. Engaging and enjoyable for learners
and teachers
use
stories activate
emotions
build in
learner
choice
provide
support for
pair work
and group
work
provide
appropriate
challenge
make
progress
visible
teach
learners
how to
learn
include
surprise,
mystery
and
puzzles
build
teacher-
student
rapport
start small
and build
up
build
rapport
between
learners

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6. Challenges learners
4 activities to provide challenge:
 Cover the sentences / words. Can
you remember them?
 Test your partner: what can they
remember? Can you help them
with pictures or acting?
 Race yourself: how fast can you
do it? Can you do it again faster?
 Can you write down these 3 super-
fast sentences? Now can you say
them yourself?

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5. Engaging and enjoyable for learners
and teachers
use
stories activate
emotions
build in
learner
choice
provide
support for
pair work
and group
work
provide
appropriate
challenge
make
progress
visible
teach
learners
how to
learn
include
surprise,
mystery
and
puzzles
build
teacher-
student
rapport
start small
and build
up
build
rapport
between
learners
How many did you remember? 

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7. Gives learners a feeling of control
 Offer choice:
 Do you want to work alone, in pairs or in
groups?
 Do you want to write or speak?
 Include how to learn:
 Dictionary skills
 Making use of online translators
 How AI can help you
 Include tips on approaching tasks:
 Why not try…?
 If it’s difficult, you could…

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8.
Sets
learners
up
for
success
Success
Maintain
focus on aims
throughout
Include how
to learn
Scaffold for
skills work
Support
learners to
remember
new language
‘I can do this’!
> ‘I did it!’
Teachers
enjoy
teaching from
the materials

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‘Flow’ in materials writing
1. Clear objectives and activity aims
2. Easy for learners and teachers to navigate
3. Sense of direction: Clear beginning, middle and end to the materials
4. Continuity: One activity flows logically into the next
5. Engaging and enjoyable for learners and teachers
6. Challenges learners
7. Gives learners a feeling of control
8. Sets learners up for success
Combining John Hughes (2014) and my own ideas

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But…
…don’t try to change all of this at once!
Choose one area at a time to work on.
Good luck!

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References
 Definitions of ‘flow’:
 https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/flow
 https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/flow_1?q=flow
 https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/flow_2
 Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (1990) Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
 Hughes, John (2014) https://oupeltglobalblog.com/2014/11/05/how-to-write-
your-own-efl-materials-part-two-thinking-about-context-and-flow/
 Images are icons from Microsoft PowerPoint

20. http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflhungary
Creating materials that flow
Sandy Millin
7th October 2023
IATEFL Hungary
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflhungary