Designing Effective Language Learning Materials for Less Commonly Taught Languages

A step-by-step guide to designing materials for learning world languages, from expert instructional designers

Many teachers of less commonly taught languages, or LCTLs, find themselves in the position of needing access to quality language teaching and learning materials where none exist, or where those that do are extremely outdated. Designing Effective Language Learning Materials for Less Commonly Taught Languages is a concise guide for language instructors or anyone with an interest in developing language learning materials. While leading instructors through the development process using the ADDIE model of instructional design (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation), Özçelik and Kent present examples from many different languages, provide reflection questions for readers to consider at the end of each chapter, and give concrete strategies and tips throughout the process. Readers will come away from the book with a more comprehensive understanding of how to develop materials for world language learning in general, and LCTL learning in particular, and a clear roadmap for doing so.

Simply written and free of overly complicated jargon or rhetoric, Designing Effective Language Learning Materials for Less Commonly Taught Languages will be an invaluable reference for novice and experienced instructors alike, as well as directors of language programs.

Öner Özçelik is an associate professor and chair of Central Eurasian studies at Indiana University Bloomington, and former director and chief applied linguist for Indiana University's Center for Languages of the Central Asian Region (CeLCAR). He has a PhD in linguistics from McGill University with a specialization in second language acquisition, and has published widely in leading linguistics and second language acquisition journals.

Amber Kennedy Kent is the Language Instruction Specialist at CeLCAR. She earned MAs in applied linguistics and computational linguistics, as well as a graduate certificate in instructional design, from Indiana University.