Why do we use materials?

Why do we use Materials? / What are Materials for?

Language instruction has five important components:

1.    Students.

2.    A teacher

3.    Materials

4.    Teaching methods

5.    Evaluation.

Why are materials important in language instruction? What do materials do in language instruction? Can we teach English without a textbook?

Allwright (1990) argues that materials should teach students to learn, that they should be resource books for ideas and activities for instruction/learning.

They should give teachers rationales for what they do. From Allwright's point of view, textbooks are too inflexible to be used directly as instructional material.

O'Neill (1990), in contrast, argues that materials may be suitable for students' needs, even if they are not designed specifically for them, that textbooks make it possible for students to review and prepare their lessons, that textbooks are efficient in terms of time and money, and that textbooks can and should allow for adaptation and improvisation.