Developing Materials for an MA Applied Linguistics/TESOL Option Module

To foster sustainable learning and inspire creative teaching, we need to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills which will support them in their individual teaching contexts. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a clear overview of the theoretical, pedagogical, and practical issues involved in developing an MA option module in Materials Development for students of Applied Linguistics and TESOL, studying at a UK university. It addresses materials development for teacher education in relation to the key themes of sustainability and creativity by considering the challenges of developing a cohesive and comprehensive module which has relevance for Master’s students from a diverse range of cultural contexts, with differing levels of teaching experience. It discusses appropriate content, knowledge, and skills, taking into account the professional needs of the course participants. It argues that for learning to be sustainable and lead to learner-responsive and creative teaching, course participants must engage with a range of theoretical issues to deepen their understanding of ELT methodology and develop greater language awareness, as a prerequisite to effective materials development. This understanding has the potential to foster creative teaching as it allows teachers to continue learning after the course, become researchers of their own classrooms, and potentially expand their repertoires in related areas, such as curriculum development. Gaining an appreciation of commercial constraints in materials writing, as part of an MA module, can also promote transferable skills and enhance employability in the field of publishing.