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In this unit, I have read about the various advantages and disadvantages of employing course books and authentic or created materials in an ESL classroom environment. While authentic materials are typically more interesting to EFL students and may help them build their confidence in practically applying and using English, they are not usually graded for level and can be confusing for beginner students. When deciding whether to use authentic materials, the teacher should be careful to select material that is appropriate for the level of the students and is geared toward the interests of the class. As created materials are typically created by the teacher, they may be more effective in reinforcing the learning objectives of a lesson and may be more suitably graded to the level of the class. However, it may be less gratifying for a student to complete a seemingly arbitrary word search exercise, for example, than to correctly understand an authentic radio interview in English. The use of course books has many advantages, such as providing a syllabus that is graded to level, material that has already been tested for effectiveness, reference material and ideas that are ideal for inexperienced teachers, and a balanced plan for teaching vocabulary, grammar, and receptive and productive skills. However, the disadvantages of using course books include not always being aligned with the needs of a specific class of students, the fact that it can make lessons very predictable and therefore unappealing to students, that over-reliance on a course book can prevent teachers from being creative with lessons, and that they are rarely tailored to a specific group of students (by nationality, language, culture, or other factors). Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that while the use of course books can be beneficial, course books should not be employed at every single step of the lesson, not all lessons should be created based on course book material, and omitting or replacing lessons that are not beneficial to students should be considered. Supplementing existing lessons from a course book with material that may be more relevant or interesting to students should also be considered, and teachers can also consider adapting existing lessons and teaching them in their own way in order to further optimize the lessons for students.
