Examine your own practice

Where do most of your materials come from? Possible sources include publishers, workplaces, a shared pool of teacher-made materials, your custom-made materials, learner-teacher collaborations.

List some of the positive and negative factors in your current choice of materials and materials development.

Authentic materials and situations — tools for your trade

Authentic materials are what people use in their work, homes, and community life. In the workplace they would typically be reports, memos, job-specific print materials, video, posters, computer program information. They give you background about the company, union, products, services, relationships, and the like. Some of them can be used to develop learning activities.

Authentic materials from the home and community can help you understand the lives and experiences of your participants. Letters and notices from government offices, schools, neighbours, friends, and relatives are valuable tools for uncovering problems and issues of concern.

What do your participants want and need to read, write, and calculate? Tax forms, telephone books, classified ads, newspapers, editorials, short stories, grocery budgets — the list is endless. Your WNA and individual needs assessments give you access to these, but the participants themselves ultimately determine which materials are most relevant and useful to learning.