Using authentic materials

Mari Cruz Olivan

What are authentic materials?

Authentic materials can be defined as any type of written text or audio production made by native speakers for other native speakers. It can be anything produced in the target language that teachers and students can find in their everyday life. These materials are not conceived with the purpose of being used as learning material for a language lesson.

Why is it important to use authentic materials in language lessons?

There are plenty of reasons to include real-life materials in lessons; such as:

• Authentic materials allow teachers to bring students into the real culture within which the language exists.
• Students have the opportunity to experience ‘the real language’ as it is spoken in the world rather than just in the classroom.
• Materials can be chosen that are directly relevant to the student’s needs, for example relevant to the learner’s business role or area of work.
• They are based on real-world topics, which are engaging and topical.
• Authentic materials are current; they reflect language as it is really used in the world today and in business.
• Particular materials can be selected that use certain types of language that the learner is studying.
• It’s motivating: learners want to be able to understand language outside of the classroom; that is the ultimate goal of language learning. So being able to read a piece of authentic material encourages them.

What should teachers consider when selecting authentic materials?

It’s important to consider:

• Learning objectives and skills

Before planning any lesson, we need to bear in mind which skills we want our student to practise. It is also very important to identify and set the lesson’s objectives to ensure that students’ learning is profitable.

• Language area

By using authentic materials, such as newspaper articles on specific topics, (politics or finance, for example), we enable students to broaden their vocabulary for particular topics.

• Degree of difficulty

When using authentic materials, it is important to understand that regardless of the level of difficulty of the text, our objective it to grade the task according to the student’s level. We need to set our students up for success and select materials and activities that are achievable for them.

• Student needs and interests

Relating materials to real-world topics and current affairs along with the student’s experiences and interests is essential to their engagement and motivation, both during lessons and self-study.

• Engagement of students in choosing authentic materials for the lessons

Ask students to bring authentic materials of their personal preference to the classroom to use in support of the topic taught.

What kind of materials can be used?

Here are some examples of authentic materials that we can easily find for our lessons:

At Language Services Direct we curate a vast array of learning materials on the market – both print and digital – to enhance our learners’ training experiences and progress. Our professional language training courses  are delivered using current, relevant and engaging materials, carefully selected according to the learner’s needs.

Sources:

McCarthy, John, “Learner Interest Matters: Strategies for Empowering Student Choice”.  Edutopia 2014  https://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-learner-interest-matters-john-mccarthy

Shepherd, Sam, “Using authentic materials”. British Council 2002 https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/using-authentic-materials

CALPRO “Authentic materials” Sept 2007- http://www.calpro-online.org/documents/AuthenticMaterialsFinal.pdf

Heitler, David “Teaching with authentic materials” 2005