ABSTRACT
The concept of learner-generated material has been around in EFL/ESL circles for some time now. What could be more learner-centered, after all, than learners not simply choosing materials (Tudor, 1993; Wright, 1987) but also producing the materials through which they and others will learn (Clarke, 1989; Riggenbach, 1988; Whitaker, 1983). However, to judge by the relative paucity of first-hand reports, EFL/ESL school teachers have not embraced this idea with any enthusiasm. One possibility is that the arguments that have been put forward in the professional literature have not reached these teachers; another, that teachers have doubts about ceding to learners a responsibility (for the selection and design of materials) which they have traditionally held; and yet another, that learners—especially younger learners and those with limited language proficiency—are felt to be incapable of producing useful materials.
