Advantages and disadvantages of supplementary materials
Reasons to use supplementary materials:
a. Complete some information that was missing in the coursebook.
b. Teacher can look up for materials according to students' needs and interesting.
c. Give something new to students. It means not to depend only on the coursebook.
Materials and activities must be organized and detailed and clear for students to practice the topic learnt. Now, there will be an explanation about some advantages and disadvantages of the most common materials used by teachers and students.
Supplementary materials | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Class library of readers | - Encourage to practice extensive reading. - Reading for pleasure -Students are free to choose any kind of reading. | - Demotivate older students -Not all students learn throw reading |
| Websites | - Lots of information -Handouts, worksheets | - There could be fake information. - Not complete information. - Not all students have electronic devices. |
| DVD's | - Provide visual learning - Provide language in a real context. - Show cultural information - Strenghten communication and discussion. | - Electronic devices could not be found in the majority of schools. - This task is not graded. |
| Electronic materials | - Plenty of information - Entertainment - Use of technology | - Teacher cannot control all the students. |
| Teachers' resource books/downloadable worksheets | - New ideas for lesson - Worksheets with a variety of topics - Worksheets with key answers | - May not suit with the lesson aim |
| Games | - Entertainment - Most games are group-working activities. - Interaction with classmates. | - Somes games are not graded - Classroom management is difficult |
Resource:
Wagner, J. (2015, 8 septembre). Using Realia Resources in Language Teaching & Learning. ielanguages.com blog. https://ielanguages.com/blog/using-realia-resources-in-language-teaching-learning/ [2020]
Chou, E. (2020, 22 march). 4 Creative Ways to Use Authentic Materials for Teaching English. FluentU English Educator Blog. https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/authentic-materials-for-teaching-english/ [2020]
Clandfield, L. (2019, 8 august). Teaching materials: using literature in the EFL/ ESL classroom. Onestopenglish. http://www.onestopenglish.com/methodology/teaching-articles/teaching-materials/ [2020]
