Learning a language is like learning to play a new game. Since the rules of the game are determined by the culture, players new to the culture will experience failures. These failures are both inevitable and frequent. Their consequences could be serious, too. Yet the game is thrilling enough to keep players at it, and through playing, the players who keep at it improve on their scores. The improved scores entice players to take more risks. Pedagogical materials offer ways for both language learners and their teachers to continuously improve their level of performance in the language game.

I will discuss the role of pedagogical materials in the language game of participating in another culture. In doing so, I hope to address questions such as the following: What can we expect to see in well-designed pedagogical materials? What can we expect to experience with well-designed pedagogical materials? What can we do to learn to participate in another culture with the help of well-designed pedagogical materials? What can we do to ameliorate shortcomings of pedagogical materials?