Resumen en español

Through the National Bilingualism Program, the National Ministry of Education have sought the achievement of B2 level at the end of school throughout the country. To this end, bilingual projects and materials have been created for improving and fostering English learning everywhere. However, given the multiculturalism, diversity, geographical and socio-economic conditions of each region of Colombia, disparities have perpetuated (Cardenas, 2006). Those differences maintain the latent need to develop or adapt new EFL materials and resources that elicit initial communication in learners, reach peculiarities of these regions, and adapt to the students’ learning needs. This project aims at describing the characteristics that EFL material for rural fifth learners from Lorica, Córdoba should adopt, considering the pupils’ cultural and learning needs, to develop listening and reading skills in English as the beginning of communication understanding. This qualitative study relies on a case study design, implementing a needs analysis method; a questionnaire, focus group interviews and documentary data are the instruments used to collect information. The participants involved are fifth graders and elementary teachers from five rural schools in Lorica. A sample of EFL material design emerges from the findings. The researcher implements a conventional content analysis method for interviews and documentary data and a statistical method for the questionnaire. The results suggest a content graded to their language level, an active role of learners creating their own material for classes, a culturally well-known vocabulary with enough audiovisual support to enhance receptive skills and special attention to English pronunciation and its connection to listening skills to enhance speaking skills.