MATSDA: Materials Development Association

MATSDA (MATerialS Development Association) is a not-for-profit international association, founded in 1993 by Brian Tomlinson to bring together researchers, publishers, writers and teachers to work towards the development of high-quality materials for the learning of languages. MATSDA members are entitled to a year's subscription to the MATSDA journal Folio and reduced rates for MATSDA conferences and workshops.

Conferences

MATSDA holds conferences which focus on issues related to the development of language learning materials. Such conferences have been organised in Buenos Aires, Cambridge, Canterbury, Colchester, Cordoba, Dublin, Durban, Tokyo, Leeds, Limerick, Liverpool, Luton, Nottingham, Saffron Walden and Singapore

Workshops

MATSDA has organised a number of materials development workshops for teachers and curriculum developers in several countries, including Argentina, Botswana, England (Ilkley, Totnes, Whitewell, Ingleton, Slaidburn), Japan, Mauritius, The Seychelles, South Africa, Turkey and Vietnam.

Folio

MATSDA publishes a journal, Folio, around twice a year. This journal focuses on theoretical and practical issues related to the development of language learning materials.

Books and Publishing

Members of MATSDA act as consultants to textbook projects and have done so in, for example, Bulgaria, China, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Morocco, Namibia and Singapore .

Members of MATSDA have also been involved in publishing a number of books on materials development – for example:

  • Tomlinson, B. (Ed.) (1998). Materials Development in Language Teaching, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Tomlinson, B. (Ed.) (2003). Developing Materials for Language Teaching. London: Continuum Press.
  • Tomlinson, B (Ed.) (2008) English Language Learning Materials - A Critical Review. London: Continuum Press.
  • Tomlinson, B. and Masuhara, H. (Eds.) (2010). Research for Materials Development. London: Continuum Press.
  • Tomlinson, B. (Ed.) (2011). Materials Development in Language Teaching, (2nd edn) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Tomlinson, B. (Ed.) (2013). Developing Materials for Language Teaching, London: Bloomsbury.
  • Mishan, F. & Timmis, I. (2015). Materials Development for TESOL. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
  • Tomlinson, B. & Masuhara, H. (2018) The Complete Guide to the Theory and Practice of Materials Development for Language Learning. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell.
  • Tomlinson, B. & Masuhara, H. (2021). SLA Applied: Connecting Theory and Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Tomlinson, B. (Ed.) (2023). Developing Materials for Language Teaching, London: Bloomsbury.

Books also been published based on papers presented at MATSDA Conferences. For example:

  • Tomlinson, B. (Ed.) (2013). Applied Linguistics and Materials Development. London: Bloomsbury.
  • Tomlinson, B. (Ed.) (2016). SLA Research and Materials Development for Language Learning. New York: Routledge.
  • Masuhara, H., Tomlinson, B. & Mishan, F. (Eds.) (2016). Practice and Theory for Materials Development in Language Learning. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars.
  • Maley, A. & Tomlinson, B. (2017). Authenticity and Materials Development for Language Learning. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars.
  • Wiley and Bouckaert, M., Konlings, M. & van Wilkelhof (M). (2018). Meaning-Focused Materials for Language Learning. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars.
  • Fernandez, C. & Adon, B. (2022). Using Language Learning Materials: Theory and Practice. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars.

We believe that published and self-produced materials can co-exist happily in the language classroom. We hope to help teachers become more confident in producing their own materials and, at the same time, encourage publishers to take account of principled ideas outside the mainstream.

Members

As well as having many members from Britain, MATSDA has members from the rest of Europe (Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Holland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden), from North America (USA, Canada), from Africa (Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Sudan) from the Middle East (Oman, United Arab Emirates), from Asia (India, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia), from South America (Argentina), and from Australia.

We hope that this website will bring together members and non-members around the world in a spirit of co-operation. MATSDA's future is very much as an international organisation.


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