This a presentation I gave at the 2013 International Kotesol conference in Seoul, South Korea. The presentation is a summary of the findings from an action research project I conducted in my general English conversation classes during the spring semester of 2013. My research project was designed to discover some of the motivating factors in an EFL classroom and how teachers may be able to use this data to improve results and learner satisfaction in the classroom.

1. When Textbooks Fail: New Materials to
Motivate a University Classroom
Seth Yoder
Sangmyung University

2. Why Did I Choose to Research This
Topic?
• To discover factors that effect student
motivation.
• To find ways to make students more
autonomous.

3. Key Points
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•
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Research project.
Significant findings of my research.
Evaluation of materials.
Difference between authentic and artificial
materials.
• Examples of classroom application.

4. The Participants
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•
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261 students
18-24 years old. Average age = 19.34
173 females & 88 males
6 different academic disciplines

5. The Survey

6. Where is the Disconnect?
• The students’ desire to communicate with a
native speaker.
Mean score = 4.94
• The students’ overall satisfaction with the
course.
Mean score = 3.83

7. Student Interviews
• Time of the class affected their study
performance.
• Number of students in the class was too large.
• Textbook was not relevant.
• Textbook/supplemental materials were
repetitive.

8. Evaluating Materials:
Problems with ELT Coursebooks
1. Books are designed for a universal audience.
2. Language level specified
(beginner, intermediate, advanced).
3. Too much/little information in a unit.
4. Book style
(communicative, authentic, functional).
5. Lack of cultural reference.
(L.E. Sheldon, 1988:245)

9. How Do We Evaluate ELT
Coursebooks?
1. Create a checklist or questionnaire.
2. Avoid choosing a book based on popularity.
3. Read teacher/student reviews of course
books.
4. The book should be flexible or easy to adapt.
5. There should be ample guidance for both
teachers and students.
(L.E. Sheldon, 1988: 245)

10. Predictive and Retrospective
Evaluations
• Predictive evaluation – An evaluation of the
materials before they are used in the
classroom.
• Retrospective evaluation – An evaluation of
the materials once they have been used in the
classroom.
(R. Ellis, 1997:36)

11. Difference Between Authentic &
Artificial Materials
• Authentic materials – ‘Language produced by
native speakers for native speakers in a
particular language community.’
(A. Gilmore, 2007:98)
• Artificial materials – ‘Language or materials
designed with the specific intent of teaching
language learners.’
(W. Lee, 1995:325)

12. Authentic Materials
• Most frequently linked to intrinsic motivation.
• Alex Gilmore states the term authentic materials
is too ambiguous.
(A. Gilmore, 2007:98)
• Matthew Peacock’s research highlights the
correlations between learner motivation and
authentic materials.
(M. Peacock, 1997)

13. Artificial Materials
• The aim of these materials are to provide the
learner with linguistic and communicative
competence.
• According to Krashen, any material should be
motivating, interesting, and not cause cultural
shock. But most importantly, it should be just
beyond the grasp of the learner.
(S. Krashen, 1982)

14. Classroom Application
• Brian Tomlinson suggests that the era of CALL
has opened a world of opportunities in the
authentic material design market.
(B. Tomlinson, 2012:165)
• Vivian Wu’s study on the link between
confidence and online EFL interaction is a
perfect example.
(V. Wu, 2011)

15. Online Video Conference Course
• Frustrated with the lack of interaction with the
materials.
• The course was conducted in a high tech computer lab
and the students were required to complete tasks
through the use of video conference calls with native
speakers.
• Vivian Wu reported that the students described the
course as fun, entertaining, and useful.
(V. Wu, 2011:119)

16. Limitations
• Not every teacher has access to high tech
computer labs.
• Classroom environment often dictates the
material selection process.
• But don’t let limitations stop you from
experimenting…

17. New Material Design
• Something that is engaging, relevant, and fun.
• Students are curious about travel.
• Let’s make our own Seoul City guidebook.

18. Seoul City Tour Guide
• Assign a part of the city to research (hotels,
restaurants, museums, etc.).
• Students gather evidence via the internet or the actual
location.
• Students then prepare oral and written reports.
• At the end of the assignment, each group will do a
presentation in which every member of the group
should speak for a minimum of 3 minutes.

19. Provide Strategies Not TeacherFronted Materials
• Avoid lecturing when explaining the project.
• Give the students strategies to follow
throughout the project.
• This will help make them more independent.
(W. Lee, 1995:327)

20. Examples of Strategies
Before the project:
• How will you gather information?
• How will you record the information you
found? (keywords, pictures, drawings)

21. Examples of Strategies
During the project:
• What techniques will you and your group
members use to relax during the
presentation?
• How have you measured your progress
throughout this assignment?

22. Examples of Strategies
After the project:
• What were your group’s strengths and
weaknesses?
• What was the most valuable lesson you
learned from this project?

23. There’s No One Size That Fits All
• Evaluate based on your needs and
environment.
• Have a good mixture of materials.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment.