REFLECTIVE BLOG DR: Unit 25

Selection and use of supplementary materials and activities

When teaching a foreign language, one of the outcomes is to help students to become communicative competent. For that reason teachers should pay attention to the course syllabus to include all the necessary materials to achieve it. Supplementary materials, authentic sources and communicative activities should be included in the syllabus to bring something different to the class.

Depending on the aim of a lesson plan, and of course the needs and skills of students, teachers should add variety to their classes by including extra material or activities. When it comes to supplementary materials, the terms games, DVDs, websites, skill books, or worksheets come to discussion. Besides adding variety to the class, these materials help to motivate students and to have a better classroom management. However, it is worth considering that there could be possible disadvantages, most of the time when including technology in the class because, for example, there are external factors that influence into the correct use of it.

I will have in mind these advice for my future classes. I think it is essential to add variety in the class; therefore, I will try to use different materials and activities without forgetting students' needs and skills. Because of the world's development, I will pay extra attention to technological supplementary material since it is the key for the future.

As a nutshell, it is important to include the appropriate supplementary material or activities considering learners in mixed ability classes. This selection is strongly connected with the correct use of methodologies and procedures in the class.