English as a foreign language learners come in a variety of personalities and learning styles. This presentation briefly explores how a range of teaching materials can help language students

1. Creative, Dynamic ELT Materials
for Teaching English
to Diverse Groups of Learners
“How to prepare multi-modal
EFL class materials to motivate
and meet the needs, interests,
and intelligences in diverse
groups of EFL learners”
Presented by:
Prof. Larry M. Lynch
Santiago de Cali University
http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com/
lynchlarrym@gmail.com

2. A Language Teacher is:
A person who teaches language.
Person
(personality)
Teach
(methodology,
knowledge & skill)
Language
(knowledge & Use)
• Balanced control and
flexibility
• Neat / organized
• Well-groomed
• Authoritative
• In-depth knowledge
• Uses a variety of
techniques
• Knowledge of
materials
• Implication of theory
• Grammar knowledge
• Language history
• Idioms & expressions
• Ability to discern
levels & needs
… Costas Gabrielatos, 2002

3. COUNTRIES / LOCATIONS with
SPANISH as the Official L1
Colombia Panama Ecuador
Venezuela Peru Puerto Rico
Mexico El Salvador Guatemala
Chile Honduras Argentina
Dominican Republic Uruguay Spain
Paraguay Nicaragua Bolivia
Costa Rica Cuba Equatorial New
Guinea

4. COUNTRIES / LOCATIONS with
ENGLISH as the Official L1
United States Trinidad & Tobago Belize
Barbados Canada U.S. Virgin Islands
Guyana British Virgin Islands Australia
Falkland Islands England Grenada, St.
Nevis / St. Kitts Jamaica India Bermuda
South Africa Bahamas New Zealand
Cayman Islands St. Vincent Grenadines
Samoa St. Lucia Seychelles Sierra
Leone Singapore Liberia Ghana Ireland
Hong Kong Zimbabwe

5. Varieties of the English Language
Tools / Languages / Define Language /
Australia Ireland Jamaica
Canada Malaysia Caribbean
United States United Kingdom Belize
Singapore Hong Kong South Africa
India Trinidad & Tobago Indonesia
Zimbabwe New Zealand Philippines

6. English Language Teachers can
often be overburdened by:
• Large class sizes
• Limited time
• Insufficient resources
• Mixed ability students
• Behavioral problems
• Administrative demands
• Personal restrictions

7. Key Aspects of GOOD
ELT Materials
• Underscore or Focus on a
SPECIFIC language theme in
a variety of ways
• Vary in Length and Difficulty
• Intrinsically Motivating for
learners
• Elicit language competency
reinforcement

8. • Multi-modal and Diversified
• Cost-effective to produce and
Utilize
• Accessible in multiple learning
environments
• Provide for Allocation of
Learner Resources

9. Let’s Meet the Language Learners:
• 10 Americans
• 3 Brits
• 5 Latinos
• 9 Blacks
• 9 Women
• 16 Men
• 7 Elderly
• 1 Muslim (Arabic)
• 6 violent or criminals
• 26 Total
• Chile
• Spain
• Germany (German)
• USA
• Brazil (Portuguese)
• UK
• Jamaica
• France (French)
• Italy (Italian)
• Cuba

11. How could you Successfully teach
English to this widely diverse group?
• Theory of Dual Psychology (P. MacClean)
• Provide an Enriched Learning Environment
(M. Diamond)
• Apply Multiple Intelligences Theory
(H. Gardner)
• Use Hermann’s Brain Dominance Model
(N. Hermann)
• Identify & Use Learner-Preferred Activities
(D. Lazear)

12. The Theory of Dual-Psychology

13. Does an enriched environment increase
the dimensions of the brain, while an
impoverished environment decreases
the dimensions of the brain?
“The answer, very
clearly, is YES.”

14. The MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES
Can you identify them?

15. THEORIST INNOVATOR
S
ORGANIZER HUMANISTIC
• Lecture
• Facts
• Details
• Critical thinking
• Textbooks
• Readings
• Outlining
• Check lists
• Exercises
• Problem-solving
with steps and
procedures
• Brainstorming
• Illustrations
• Pictures
• Metaphors
• Mind-mapping
• Synthesis
• Holistic
approaches
• Cooperative
learning
• Group discussion
• Role-playing
• Dramatization

16. 73
67
58
50
42 42 42 42
33 33 33
25 25
17
8
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
LEARNER
PERCENTAGE
ListentoMusic
TalkingtoPeople
FormalStudy
VocabularyLists
PlayingGames
ForeignTravel
PronunciationPractice
CulturalStudies
Reading
WatchingTV
WatchingMovies/Videos
TeachingOthers
Writing
ListeningtoCassettes
Other
ACTIVITY TYPE
LEARNERS PREFERRED ACTIVITIES

17. Which learners in the group would like:
• Drama & dialogues
• Songs and music
• Independent projects
• TPR & physical
games
• Art, graphics, videos
& visuals
• Group projects
• Puzzles &
crosswords or
computer learning
• Who would be
friends? Why?
• Who wouldn’t be
friends? Why?
• Who would YOU be
friends with? Why?
• Who wouldn’t you let
work together? Why?

18. What are some differences in language
learning in these situations?

20. Exploiting Learner characteristics:
• “EFL learners are not
all the same. They
do not all learn the
same way.”
• “We must not limit
EFL learners by
thinking they can only
learn in a particular
way.”
M. Spratt, 2005

21. Adapt: Meet learner needs by Using
a Variety of Activity Types:
• COGNITIVE PAIRS
• CLOZE EXERCISE
• FILL in the BLANKS
• WORD or LETTER
UNSCRAMBLE
• RE-ORDERING a
SEQUENCE
• TRUE or FALSE
• GIVE a DESCRIPTION
• EXPOSITORY WRITING
• COMPLETE the
PHRASE or SENTENCE
• PROBLEM-SOLVING
• ERROR CORRECTION
• COMPREHENSION
QUESTIONS
• WRITE the QUESTION
• COMPLETE a CHART or
GRAPH
• MAKE a COMPARISON
• SELECT an ITEM FROM a
GROUP
• RE-WRITE or RE-STATE
• GIVE an OPINION
• DRAMATIZATION
• COMBINE EXERCISE
TYPES

22. Use a Specific or Focused
Grammatical Element to Create:
• a Rap, Rhyme, or Poem
• a Word Search or Crossword Puzzle
• a Short Story
• a Visual Jigsaw Puzzle
• Find a song that features the grammar
focus
• A TPR (Total Physical Response) activity
• A short Drama or Dialogue

23. • Little boy blue came and blew his horn
His sheep were in the meadow
The cows, they ate the corn
Where was the little boy who saw the sheep?
He had laid in a haystack where he slept.
• Mary, Mary was quite contrary, but how her
garden grew. She used snakes, snails and
puppy dog tails with pretty maids all strung in
a row.

24. The STATE BANK
This morning someone robbed the
State Bank. The thief entered the bank
and stated that he wanted all their
money. The thief smiled but looked
very tired. The tellers seemed worried.
The thief received the requested
money, asked to be excused, then
stormed out quickly as the door
revolved. He dashed down the street
and screeched away in his damaged
car.

25. The ZOO
Last week we decided to visit the zoo.
We arrived the next morning after we
breakfasted, cashed in our passes and
entered. We walked toward the first
exhibits. I looked up at a giraffe as it
stared back at me. I stepped nervously to
the next area. Some lions gazed at me as
they lazed in the shade while the others
napped. One of my friends first knocked
and banged on the tempered glass in
front of the monkey’s cage. They howled
and screamed at us as we hurried to
other exhibits.

26. Key Techniques and Strategies for
Teaching Diverse Learners
• Use Right & Left brain activities
• Provide an enriched learning
environment
• Address multiple learning styles
• Use a variety of exercise types
• Utilize multi-media based strategies
& Classroom observation
• Use learner-preferred activities
• Teach each theme or topic using
from 4 to 6 different approaches

27. For more FREE information on
producing creative, dynamic ELT
materials, EFL classroom teaching
and learning techniques, informative
TESOL articles, please go to:
“Becoming a Better EFL Teacher”
online at:
http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com/
or E-mail Prof. Larry M. Lynch at:
proflmlynch@gmail.com
THANK YOU Teachers and Attendees!!!

28. THANK YOU TEACHERS !
For your attendance and attention
Prof. Larry M. Lynch
Santiago de Cali University
lynchlarrym@gmail.com
ASOCOPI National Conference
Tunja, Boyaca
October, 2008

29. THANK YOU TEACHERS !
Prof. Larry M. Lynch
Santiago de Cali University
lynchlarrym@gmail.com
ASOCOPI National Conference
Tunja, Boyaca
October, 2008