Using Authentic Materials in Teaching Languages

For the purposes of the present study, authentic materials are deemed to be the best choice to introduce the target language to a group of  learners. In addition, they are a good choice for all  learners as they provide input from the target culture. This input is unique because it is quite possibly the same input that a learner of the target language could be receiving in their language class in another country.

The terms authenticity and authentic are often used to describe language samples – both oral and written – that reflect the naturalness of form, and appropriateness of cultural and situational context (Rogers & Medley, 1988). Throughout the history of English language teaching  (ELT), authenticity is taken as being synonymous with genuineness, realness, truthfulness, validity, reliability, undisputed  credibility, and legitimacy of materials or practices (Tatsuki, 2006).

Taylor (1994) describes types of authenticity as distinguished by Breen (1985) which fall into the categories of authenticity of task, authenticity of language, and authenticity of situation. For the purposes of the present study, the data consists of circumstances where authenticity of the language is used. Authenticity of the language is presented by authentic texts, authentic tasks and authentic songs.

A good way to approach authentic materials in the foreign language classroom is to define them as items made for the native speaker, in the target language, for the native speakers use in their target culture. From this definition of authenticity a definition of authentic input can be put forth as: the use of authentic materials from the target culture which are presented in the target language, such as songs, stories, games and play, which are derived from the target culture.

Authentic materials are becoming valued as positive tools to use in the second language classroom because of the encouraging opportunities for learning that it provides.

What other pecularities of using the authentic materials can you mention? Is it important to use them during our classes? Do we have to use only authentic texts and task? Please share your thoughts and idead in comments!!=)) ↓↓↓

5 Must-Haves for a Successfull English Lesson

All teachers of English should know that an effective, useful and at the same time interesting class cannot be possible without certain  points.

Here are 5 tip for the teachers of English how to organize the work in the class :

1. Start with a warmer

Your students may come in to your classroom at the beginning of the lesson with their previous subject still on their mind. Therefore, we need something to get them thinking in English, t0 make our lesson more effective. It may be a review of the previous lesson, a topic connected to today’s lesson, or simply something fun to put your students in a positive mood.

2. Each activity needs a lead-in stage

Lead-in stages are important not only at the start of the lesson, but they are actually needed for each task. Again, this is to create interest in the task and to ‘warm students up’ to it. Lead-ins may simply be asking questions about the task I context / characters / grammar point etc. but the aim is to prepare students for what they are about to do.

3. Use Instructions Checking Questions (ICQs)

Teaching English is different from teaching other subjects due to its communicative nature. Our students need communicative tasks in class, but this very idea of in-class communication may be unusual for some students. Therefore, when we set up tasks, we need to give very clear instructions. Instructions should be brief, always provided with an example or demonstration, and most importantly, we need to check that students understand what to do.

Instructions Checking Questions are questions which test whether students have understood the task, and some examples are: Are you going to write or speak?’,’ Where do you write the answers?.’ How many questions are you going to ask your partner? We know how much our students have understood based on the way they answer our ICQs.

4. Lanauage Presentation: PPP

The three main stages of a language lesson: Presentation, practice and production. The main point which is often overlooked / forgotten about in the presentation stage, however, is pronunciation. As with vocabulary, it is important to make students aware of pronunciation issues with things like contractions (I’ll I won’t / I’ve been etc), confusing pronunciations like can/ can’t etc.

5. Elicit as much as possible

There is a very well-known quote from Benjamin Franklin, and it says: “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.” By eliciting language from students, we are involving them in the learning process. By being involved, there is a bigger chance that they will learn more effectively than if the teacher simply stood at the front of the room and told them everything, lecture-style.

IMHO these are very important pieces of advice for the teachers of English. Maybe you will add something more? Please, share your thougts with us in comments. ↓↓↓