ABSTRACT
This study investigated the use of instructional materials in teaching English at secondary schools in Tanzania. The study aimed to achieve three objectives: firstly, to identify the instructional materials utilized for teaching and learning English in secondary schools in Tanzania; secondly, to explore how learners engage with these instructional materials; and thirdly, to examine the rationale behind the selection and utilization of these materials. It used a qualitative approach with a case study design and it involved twelve English language teachers and form three students. The qualitative case approach was used to observe the classroom and conduct interviews to collect data and they were analysed thematically. The findings reveal that teachers employ both printed and handwritten materials for English instruction in Tanzania. Learners interact with these materials primarily through reading, writing, and responding to questions. The choice of materials depends on what is being studied, their availability, easiness to use and economic reasons. The study has the implication on the definition of instructional materials that it adds that the definition of materials needs to be modified by including people and their actions, such as humour, laughter, sarcasm, gestures, bodily movements, reactions to stimuli like questions, speech and its supra segmental or prosodic features during instruction. It recommends that training teachers to be creative in using materials and the government has to provide infrastructure to support electronic devices in schools.