Adapting Authentic Materials for Language Teaching 语言教学方法论.pdfVIP

Adapting Authentic Materials for Language Teaching By Steven Darian (United States) Adapting original materials for language teaching is an incredibly subtle process—half art, half science. Clearly, the kind and degree of adapting depends on the age and language level of the student. In an effort to simplify text, it is easy to slip into the error of talking down to the reader. To illustrate the process of adapting, I have drawn on my experience in preparing an intermediate-level 300ESL text for business (Darian, in press). While such material seems far removed from the primary or secondary school classroom, the process is basically the same at all levels. I’ve divided our discussion into four sections: (1) semantic elements, (2) lexical elements, (3) syntactic elements, and (4) discourse elements. In this short article, we can just touch on a few considerations in each area. Semantic elements One hidden problem in adapting materials is connotation. Native speakers don’t usually think about the primary or secondary connotation of a word—they just use it. The problem arises when the language learner is confronted with a secondary connotation of a word and, at best may know that word in its primary meaning. Take this example: Do you know any jokes that illustrate other people’s values? To the language learner, the primary connotation of illustrate would probably be related to art and drawing. When adapting materials, ask yourself whether a word’s primary connotation would obscure the secondary meaning. If so, substitute a clearer term. The example rewritten is: Do you know any jokes about other people’s values? Here is another example that illustrates the problem of primary and secondary connotation: Original: One of the keys to total quality management (TQM) is involving the employees. Rewrite: One of the most important factors in total quality management (TQM) is involving the employees. Lexical elements One of the first things that str