Looking outwards: using learning materials to help learners harness out-of-class learning opportunities

Abstract

ABSTRACTWith the growth of English as an International Language [McKay, S. 2002. Teaching English as an International Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press], there is a wealth of it now accessible to learners in their out-of-class environments; be these real, virtual, or a mixture of the two. Tomlinson (2008. “EFL Materials in the UK.” In English Language Learning Materials: A Critical Review, edited by Brian Tomlinson, 159–178. London: Continuum), however, complains that the majority of learning materials surveyed fail to tap into this rich resource, while Hann [2013. “Mining the L2 Environment.” In Developing Materials for Language Teaching, edited by B. Tomlinson, 2nd ed. 6456–6966. London: Bloomsbury] reminds us that learners may not be able to make effective use of the English in their environment unsupported, putting forward a case for helping learners develop the learning strategies needed for this, rather than focusing solely on language, in the second language classroom. This article will make the contentious claim that the global course books commonly used in the language classroom are not essential to language learning, and argue that, instead of simply serving language in bite-sized chunks, we should be helping learners become better able to exploit other resources of language autonomously. It will put forward a case for achieving use of and exposure to the target language, key to second language acquisition (Hann 2013), via engagement with the many learning opportunities that exist outside the classroom, where the majority of such learners’ time is spent. It then proposes and examines two types of learning materials that could address Tomlinson's complaints, above, by scaffolding this engagement process, and explores alternative uses of existent materials towards similar ends. Some evaluative results gathered in a pilot of some of these materials and ideas in a private language school in Sicily will also be provided. Finally possible future directions for such materials will be explored.