using authentic materials

Getting “real”

An authentic material is ……

“any material which has not been specifically produced for the purpose of language teaching.”

(Nunan, 1998)

Sources of Authentic Materials

TV commercials, films, news items, weather forecasts, announcements, radio talks, interviews,

debates, songs video shorts animation

recipes, articles, schedules, notes, letters, cards advertisements, brochures, poems, application forms, instruction manuals

catalogues, lyrics

magazines,

newspapers, internet

Audio / Visual Written

Why use Authentic Materials?

Using authentic materials is a very contentious point in language instruction.

Many people recommend using them – others say never. However, the truth lies somewhere in between.

Advantages ofUsing Authentic Materials

Motivating! Interesting and Relevant! Exposes learners to “how the language IS” Promotes deeper cultural knowledge Brings creativity into classroom practice Closer to actual learner needs and interests Current and Topical!

Disadvantages ofUsing Authentic Materials

Lots of prep time Difficult language demotivates students Culturally biased Doesn’t promote “CO”, comprehensible input Lack of materials development skills of

teachers No structure or sequence building.

How to select? Questions to ask?

How can I exploit this? How suitable is the content? Is it familiar to my students (in their L1)? Does it support my courses goals and

objectives? Are my students prepared for “what they

don’t know? Does the positive outweigh the negative? How long will it take me to prepare?

Authentic Materials are powerful

They offer the student a chance to practice “real” language use.

They promote “real” learning – students try to understand the meaning without knowing everything.

They bridge the “test tube” of the classroom with the eventual “real” world.

Further Reading / Resources

Glossary Terms Teaching with Authentic Materials. Effective Ways to use Authentic Materials Authentic Materials and Cultural Content Authentic Materials: an overview Authentic Materials – interactive Webquest Using Authentic Materials in the EFL Classroom