TKT Selection and Use of Resources 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'coursebook' and what is its role in language teaching?
- A teacher's personal notebook of lesson ideas
- A published teaching and learning resource providing a structured syllabus, language presentations, and practice activities for learners (Correct answer)
- A government-produced national curriculum document
- A reference grammar used by teachers to check language points
Correct answer: A published teaching and learning resource providing a structured syllabus, language presentations, and practice activities for learners
A coursebook is a commercially published student textbook that provides a structured syllabus, language input, skills practice, and tasks — often the central resource in a language course.
Coursebooks (also called textbooks or student books) are the primary published resource used in many language classrooms. A good coursebook provides a balanced and progressive syllabus, a variety of text types and practice activities, language reference sections, and vocabulary lists. Teachers typically follow the coursebook as a guide while adapting it to their specific learners' needs — adding supplementary materials, skipping irrelevant units, or exploiting tasks differently. TKT Module 2 requires candidates to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of coursebooks and to demonstrate understanding of how they are selected and used.
Question 2: What does 'adapting materials' mean in an ELT context?
- Translating coursebook materials into the learners' first language
- Modifying or adjusting existing teaching materials to better suit the needs, level, or interests of a particular group of learners (Correct answer)
- Writing entirely new materials from scratch
- Photocopying materials from a coursebook for learner use
Correct answer: Modifying or adjusting existing teaching materials to better suit the needs, level, or interests of a particular group of learners
Adapting materials involves modifying existing resources — for example, simplifying a text, adding vocabulary support, extending a task, or changing the context — to better match learner needs.
Materials adaptation is a key skill for language teachers. It involves taking existing materials — from a coursebook, the internet, or supplementary resources — and modifying them to better suit a specific group of learners. Common adaptations include: simplifying a text for lower-level learners, adding visual support, extending activities for stronger learners, changing the topic to something more culturally relevant, or adjusting the timing of activities. TKT Module 2 tests candidates on their ability to identify when and how adaptation is appropriate, and to distinguish between adapting existing materials and creating new materials.
Question 3: When would a teacher use 'realia' in a language lesson?
- When showing a video clip from a television programme
- When using real-life objects such as coins, food packages, or bus tickets to provide authentic context for language practice (Correct answer)
- When giving learners practice examinations under exam conditions
- When reading aloud from a published coursebook
Correct answer: When using real-life objects such as coins, food packages, or bus tickets to provide authentic context for language practice
Realia are real-world objects brought into the classroom to contextualise vocabulary, stimulate discussion, or provide an authentic learning experience.
Realia refers to real-world objects and artefacts that a teacher brings into the classroom to add authenticity and context to language learning. Examples include food packaging, maps, tickets, menus, coins, newspaper cuttings, or household objects. Using realia makes language more memorable and relevant, provides visual and tactile support for vocabulary teaching, and helps create a contextualised learning experience. Realia is particularly effective at lower levels, with young learners, or when teaching lexical sets. TKT Module 2 covers the range of teaching resources and their appropriate uses, including realia.
Question 4: What is the main advantage of using 'authentic materials' in language lessons?
- They are always grammatically simpler than coursebook texts, making them easier to understand
- They expose learners to real-world language use, including natural features such as colloquialisms, hesitation, and complex discourse (Correct answer)
- They are cheaper to produce than published coursebooks
- They are always more appropriate for beginners than for advanced learners
Correct answer: They expose learners to real-world language use, including natural features such as colloquialisms, hesitation, and complex discourse
Authentic materials — not originally designed for language teaching — expose learners to real language use in all its natural complexity, helping bridge the gap between classroom and real-world communication.
Authentic materials are texts, audio, and video produced for real communicative purposes rather than for language teaching — for example, newspaper articles, podcasts, advertisements, or films. Their main advantage is that they expose learners to genuine language use, including colloquialisms, natural discourse structure, ellipsis, and features of connected speech. This helps learners develop strategies for understanding real-world communication. However, authentic materials may be too linguistically demanding for lower-level learners and may require careful selection and adaptation. TKT Module 2 requires candidates to evaluate the use of authentic vs. graded materials.
Question 5: What does 'IWB' stand for and how is it used in language teaching?
- Interactive Whiteboard — a large touchscreen display connected to a computer, allowing teachers and learners to interact with digital materials directly on the board (Correct answer)
- Integrated Writing Board — a writing frame used in academic skills lessons
- Individual Written Brief — a personalised homework assignment
- Intensive Worksheet Bundle — a set of grammar practice exercises
Correct answer: Interactive Whiteboard — a large touchscreen display connected to a computer, allowing teachers and learners to interact with digital materials directly on the board
An Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) connects to a computer and projector, enabling teachers to display, manipulate, and annotate digital content directly on a large touchscreen, enhancing interactive and multimedia teaching.
Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs) are large touchscreen displays that allow teachers to interact with digital materials, websites, and software directly on the board. In language teaching, IWBs can be used to display and annotate texts, play audio and video, run interactive grammar games, highlight language features, drag-and-drop activities, and allow learners to participate physically at the board. Their advantages include engaging visual learners, saving time on board writing, and enabling multimedia integration. Disadvantages include technical failures and the risk of overuse reducing TTT management. TKT Module 2 includes the use of technology as part of resource selection and use.
Question 6: What is a 'graded reader' and when would a teacher use it?
- A teacher who has been assessed as highly effective by their school inspector
- A simplified version of a text or novel adapted to a specific proficiency level for extensive reading (Correct answer)
- A specialised reading test designed to measure learners' reading level
- A type of intensive reading activity using a short authentic text
Correct answer: A simplified version of a text or novel adapted to a specific proficiency level for extensive reading
Graded readers are books written or adapted for specific proficiency levels, using controlled vocabulary and simplified grammar, to support extensive reading at an appropriate challenge level.
Graded readers are books written or simplified to match specific vocabulary and grammar levels, typically corresponding to CEFR levels or word-count bands (e.g., 400, 700, 1200 headwords). They are primarily used for extensive reading — learners reading large amounts of text for pleasure and overall comprehension, rather than intensive analysis. Research by Nation and others has shown that extensive reading is highly effective for vocabulary acquisition, reading fluency, and overall language development. Teachers typically assign graded readers as supplementary reading material to encourage learner autonomy and reading habit development.
TKT Selection and Use of Resources 2
What is a 'coursebook' and what is its role in language teaching?