QUICK RESOURCE SHEET #38

Use of authentic materials

A funny thing happened as I was researching this Resource Sheet. I came across a surprising amount of recent research discouraging foreign language teachers from incorporating authentic materials into their curricula.

The reasons are many. Too difficult. Requires hours of planning. Biased towards comprehension activities that do not invite active participation on the part of the learner. Add to that the lack of ready-made supporting exercises, and you may start agreeing with the naysayers.

Nevertheless, there are still many reasons to introduce authentic materials as part of a well-rounded lesson.

From http://literacy.kent.edu/NEABLE/Live_Wire/LiveWire_11905.doc:

“Authentic materials expose learners to a wide range of natural language use and cultural information. Teachers are able to incorporate language learning, cultural learning and practical application in one lesson.”

From https://www.ecampus.ed.state.pa.us/courseregistration.asp?course=1066:

“Research on adult learning tells us that adults want material that is relevant, practical and interesting. Authentic sources of information often have more appeal to adults than textbooks as adults can see the immediate usefulness of the content.”

From http://www.jrc.sophia.ac.jp/kiyou/ki21/gaio.pdf:

“The extra time involved for teachers in planning for the use of authentic materials to supplement lessons is well worth it. In fact, using authentic materials has several advantages. According to Brinton (1991), authentic materials and media can reinforce for students the direct relationship between the language classroom and the outside world. Gebhard (1996) sees authentic materials as a way to contextualize language learning.”

Have a look at the following links to get some concrete ideas on the meaningful and effective use of authentic materials in language teaching. In an upcoming Quick Resource Sheet, I’ll highlight online sources of authentic materials.

http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Kilickaya-AutenticMaterial.html

“This paper aims to answer the questions of when and how authentic materials should be used in EFL classrooms, and how cultural content may be included in the curriculum. To address these questions, the paper is organized in two parts. In the first part, the definition of authentic materials is given. Then advantages and disadvantages of the use of authentic materials are discussed. In the second part, the definition of culture is given and then, why and how cultural content should be used is discussed.”

http://exchanges.state.gov/forum/vols/vol39/no2/p2.htm

Pointers on adapting authentic materials: “Adapting original materials for language teaching is an incredibly subtle process—half art, half science. Clearly, the kind and degree of adapting depends on the age and language level of the student. In an effort to simplify text, it is easy to slip into the error of talking down to the reader.”

http://aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/Techniques/Kelly-Authentic.html

“This paper explains how authentic materials can be effectively used in the ESL classroom. Each pair of students is given a copy of the authentic material accompanied by a set of questions about the contents of the handout. Students work together with a partner to extract pertinent information that is necessary to answer the questions.”

http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/march_05_ch.html

“…substantial input of authentic materials that are pegged to learners' levels and interests naturally increases their sensitivity to and competence in the target language. Furthermore, current popular materials, such as clips from mass media and best-selling essays/short stories, have been found most appealing because of their realistic, ready-to-use language and relevance to learners' mindsets and experiences. Once students are hooked on authentic materials, which trigger the process of natural language acquisition, effective EFL education can be realized.”

http://www.richmond.edu/~terry/Middlebury/authentic.htm

A quick list of guidelines to help in selecting suitable authentic materials.