CHAPTER
I
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents background of Creating
materials: the link between syllabus and audience. The purpose of it tells
about the purpose of Creating materials: the link between syllabus and
audience.
1.1. Background of Translation
Creating
materials through which people can effectively learn new languages is a highly
specialized craft, one that seems to be
perfected through immersion in the activity itself. Since the prospect of sink
or swim ca discourage potential talent,more attention needs to be paid to
developing guidelines for writers. This chapter looks at writing in various
ways: in section 9.1 The audience for
materials, by contrasting writing for local or wider audiences, a
difference often but not always marked by the separate worlds of producing
non-commercial materials as opposed to commercial textbooks. In section 9.2, we
differentiate between projects which are ‘commissioned’ and ‘self-initiated’.
In both, however, there is writing as a
team effort, the issue discussed in section 9.3. finally, section 9.4 A checklist for writers is preparation
for launching a materials writing project,or what to consider at the first
meeting of a writing team.
CHAPTER
II
CONTENT
2. Creating materials: the link between syllabus and
audience
2.1 the audience for materials
To a certain extent, witing for a local or a wider
audience coincides with the difference between non-commercial and
commercially-sponsored projects. For writers, however, it is more productive to
focus on the audienc. That is why the terms ‘local’ and ‘wider’ are valuable.
There are times when a commercial firm might be asked to produce materials for
a local audience, for a particular school, a particular system, a ministry, or
even for an entire country. Usually, non commercial materials are aimed at a
more specified, local audience. Commercial materials are for as wide an
audience.
2.1.1 Writing for a local audience
When they create for a local audience, the writers
should be familiar with the needs of the learners, their age, level of
profiency, degree of motivation, cultural learning styles, etc. however,
knowing the audience well does not mean that writers can overlook, at an early
stage, defining the scope of the project in terms of combining or emphasizing
language skills, language contet, and the processes in which skils and content
are used. Sometimes, after a year or two of working with tightly controlled
materials, the teachers feel too bound. For this reason, writers who deal with
a local audience often find they must walk a tightrope. There are other
problematic aspects as wwell with local audiences. Granted, the writers can
select situations knowing whether or not learners possess the required
background knowledge to understand them.
2.1.2 Writing for a wider audience
Although in writing for a wider audience it is much
more difficult to take learners’ characteristics into account, one difference
that cannot be ignored is age. Children are not the same as adult learners. A
more subtle age division is the one between children and adolescents. But the
most important factor in writing for a wider audience is not knowing the
curriculum or syllabus, let alone the objectives of the audience. At times even
educational goals are ill defined. One way is by giving enough practice material
so that teachers are free to select what fits a particular group.
2.1.3 Issues common to both audience
Other issues of taste, sensitivity and attention to
details are common to writing for both audiences, local and wide. To the eye,
in terms of spelling, the two names look very much the same since they both
begin and end with the same letter. One tends to overlook issues like these in
choosing the elements that go into materials writing. Yet, the difficulties
presented by small, culturally bound elements in language are quite crucial in
writing for both audiences.
2.2 Commissioned and self-initiated projects
Basically, writing projects are either commissioned
by others or they are self-initiated by the writers themselves.
2.2.1 Commissioned projects
The publisher or initiating authority may have set
up a quality contrl person who follows the project from beginning to end,
giving progress reports while the work is going on. The quality control person,
most likely called an editor, is the project’s coordinator, acting as liaison
between writers and the commissioning authority. Thus, the writers feel that
they never get far enough out of the forest to see the trees..it may turn out,
too, that a writing team for a commissioned project is made up of people from
various backgrounds who have never worked together before.
2.2.2 Self-initiated projects
Self-initiated projects usually start when an
individual or a few teachers who have been successful in producing materials
for their own immediate classroom needs decide that their ‘great idea’ deserves
to be shared with the rest of the world. It is certainly tru that a worthwhile
textbook requires insight from teaching, but it also requires craftsmanship
from writers. What is frequently necessary is for the teachers/writers to put
aside their successful classroom materials and to think about the specialized
requrements of a textbook. A key factor in transforming either classroom
materials into a publishable manuscript or transposing one’s own ‘great idea’
into a book depends on having a grasp of the marketplace for textbooks. It is
often up to the writers to assess the field; the publisher, with all good
intentions, is not in a position to keep up with trends in language teaching
along with a number of other subject areas in his/her educational catalog. By
getting to know the types of educational materials and texts which particular
publishers produce, an author with aspirations to be published can make better
decisions regarding which editors or publishers to approach with sample ideas
and lessons.
2.2.3 I hve an idea…
In most cases, your sample lessons and rationale
will be sent to reviewers for appraisal, a process that can stretch over a few
months at least. In other words, the publisher will rely heavily on the comments
which seasoned professionals (who usually receive a small fee fom the publisher
for their service report back. These reviewers’ comments may well contain
useful suggestions that will guide you in further shaping of the work.
2.3 Writing as a team effort
Because of the variety of tasks which must be
performed togetherith the advisabilityof bringing in various skills, talents,
andpointsfviewwritingis frequently ateamfftor a co-authored veture.
2.3.1 An idealized team
It goes without saying that all members of a
materials writing team will have professional qualifications for the assignment
.in an effective team at least, members complement each other. A successful
materials producting team is composed of personalities who have learned to
compensate for individual weaknesses by using each other’s strengths. In fact,
a strong team needs divergent personality types so that there is ample
opportunity for a flow of ideas. For example, a team needs an organizer,
someone who tactfully lays out the tasks which need to be accomplished. The
team needs an idea person, the one who has flair and imagination. A good team
should have an experimenter, as well as an evaluator. Those who have worked
with teams report that inevitably there is a big talker’ as well as a
persuader, the one who can argue strongly for a particular decision. Effective
committees as well as teams operate through democratic processes. But anyone
who has worked on a committee knows there must be one person at the head.
Someone must be selected to make the final decisions. That individual needs to
be sensitive to others yet wise enough to know how and when to maneuver so that
everyone’s abilities are utilized.
2.3.2 Other team models
There is also team writing which follows an
authoritarian format. One person, totally responsible for conceptualization and
design, assigns the tasks. Since the work is highly structured, it is apt to be
completed more punctually.
2.4 A Checklist for writers
The decision-making characteristic of materials
writing is most apparent during the early stages of a project. To avoid
unnecessary re-writing at later periods, many basic problems should be settled
early.
Conclusion
In this chapter entitledCreating
materials: the link between syllabus and audience, the author defined the
things that is in creating materials.
The part of this chapter had been created by the author is very interesting
because it explains about analyzing the thingshappened in creating materials.In the other
hand, the things happened in creating
materials can be used through discussion, study and debate because many
questions in the chapter that refer to our insight as a student, giving our
opinion to finish the case. This chapter gives us how to finish the case
involved in creating materialsand
prompts us to give response about the case.
The chapter is
very good for students who study reading and understanding about the creating materials.The writer feels that
in the resultis still many faults.
4.2 Suggestion
Based on the result and also the conclusion, the writer has some
suggestions as follows:
1)
The
readers can use thisresult as reference
and understand about creating materials.
2)
People are studying in English Educationcan apply this materials.