APISAK PUPIPAT (THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY )
JEERASAK MEESUKSABAI (Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University )

MATERIALS SIMPLIFICATION IN BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY : MATERIALS DESIGN

Materials simplification in ELT is a process whereby the original text gets rendered into easy language for the enjoyment of beginners or intermediate EFL/ESL students. This adaptation, mainly paraphrasing and summarizing, is normally used by teachers and textbook writers to simplify the grammar, discourse, vocabulary and occasionally the content. It is a way for the teacher to customize the text to students’ needs, and for learners to be able to read the text more smoothly with lesser use of the dictionary. Although materials simplification is a crucial skill for the teacher, it seems that only a small number of teachers are comfortable with it. And, worse, not enough ELT textbooks have addressed the issue. Based on Helen Fielding’s hugely-successful mass-marketed novel Bridget Jones’s Diary (1996), the current research textually compares the original version with the simplified grade reader, as retold by Anne Collins and published by Macmillan Readers (2009). Results reveal modifications in language (lexis/slang terms, mechanics (punctuation marks/spelling/font sizes/ italics/bolding), grammar, discourse), as well as deletion of text, and, to some extent, content changes. Occasionally, a few pictures are added to increase the students’ comprehension. Please come to our session to share some ELT experience on materials simplification.

Dr. Apisak Pupipat teaches English, English linguistics, world literature and some classical music at Thammasat University’s English Department. Sometimes he trains teachers and organizes English camps—trying to add humor to everything he touches. In the spare time, he listens to Dhamma talks and western classical music, as well as hits the gym. Email: apisakubu@yahoo.co.th Jeerasak Meesuksabai is an English teacher at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University who enjoys developing materials and curricula for specific purposes. Currently, he teaches English for Media, and Business Translation. His primary focus is on professional development, both as a learner himself and in fostering personal growth for his students. Email: jeerasak.me@ssru.ac.th

Dr. Apisak Pupipat teaches English, English linguistics, world literature and some classical music at Thammasat University’s English Department. Sometimes he trains teachers and organizes English camps—trying to add humor to everything he touches. In the spare time, he listens to Dhamma talks and western classical music, as well as hits the gym. Email: apisakubu@yahoo.co.th Jeerasak Meesuksabai is an English teacher at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University who enjoys developing materials and curricula for specific purposes. Currently, he teaches English for Media, and Business Translation. His primary focus is on professional development, both as a learner himself and in fostering personal growth for his students. Email: jeerasak.me@ssru.ac.th