4. Authentic vs. Non-Authentic Materials
Authentic texts (either written or spoken) are those which are designed for native speakers: they are real texts designed not for language students, but for the speakers of the language in question. Any English newspaper is composed of what we would call authentic English, and so is an English radio program. An English advertisement is an example of authentic English, so is a chapter from a book on teaching methodology written by Englishman for English-speaking readers. The use of English authentic materials will enable the EFL learners to understand the language as the native speakers of English use it. It is true that understanding EFL texts especially edited for ELT (English Language Teaching) does not guarantee that authentic English materials will be understood. There is an almost unlimited supply of real-world textual materials (authentic materials) which can be used by the creative EFL teachers to meet their classroom needs of materials, e.g. schedules, calendars, advertisements, menus, notes, receipts, coupons, tickets, and the list goes on.
An authentic material for listening subject, however, is very different from reading, where, because the learners can work individually and at their own pace, authentic material carries fewer risks. In the typical listening situation, care has to be taken to see that learners are not discouraged by excessive difficulties. In general, authentic materials are best used where the learners themselves are likely to appreciate them and accept them in spite of difficulties. One such area is that of pop songs, where the learners are rarely put off by difficulties and hardly ever taken in by the pseudo-product.
A non-authentic text, in language teaching terms, is one that has been written especially for language students. The argument for using authentic materials is derived from the notion, that the most effective way to develop a particular skill is to rehearse that skill in class. Proponents of authentic materials point out that classroom texts and dialogues do not adequately prepare learners for copying with the language they hear and read in the real world outside the classroom. They argue that if we want learners to comprehend aural and written texts in the real world, then the learners need opportunities for engaging in these real-world texts in class.
Using authentic materials
Using authentic materials is one of the mainstays of an imaginative and motivating higher level course, but rarely features at levels lower than intermediate. There are several reasons for this, primarily a kind of fear that students will panic when faced with language that is largely unfamiliar, and a feeling that to prevent this the language should be edited to the students' level.
In teaching language for learning purposes, the educators’ main goal is to provide learners with the linguistic knowledge about the language. This knowledge includes grammatical rules, vocabulary lists and other linguistic codes. The underlying premise of this approach is that by informing learners about the language, it will help them decode a text in the target language. order to decode the text. Under these circumstances, the language educators tend to create teaching materials that are specifically designed to teach the linguistic concepts of the language.
Authentic texts (either written or spoken) are those which are designed for native speakers: they are real texts designed not for language students, but for the speakers of the language in question. Any English newspaper is composed of what we would call authentic English, and so is an English radio program. An English advertisement is an example of authentic English, so is a chapter from a book on teaching methodology written by Englishman for English-speaking readers. The use of English authentic materials will enable the EFL learners to understand the language as the native speakers of English use it. It is true that understanding EFL texts especially edited for ELT (English Language Teaching) does not guarantee that authentic English materials will be understood. There is an almost unlimited supply of real-world textual materials (authentic materials) which can be used by the creative EFL teachers to meet their classroom needs of materials, e.g. schedules, calendars, advertisements, menus, notes, receipts, coupons, tickets, and the list goes on.
An authentic material for listening subject, however, is very different from reading, where, because the learners can work individually and at their own pace, authentic material carries fewer risks. In the typical listening situation, care has to be taken to see that learners are not discouraged by excessive difficulties. In general, authentic materials are best used where the learners themselves are likely to appreciate them and accept them in spite of difficulties. One such area is that of pop songs, where the learners are rarely put off by difficulties and hardly ever taken in by the pseudo-product.
A non-authentic text, in language teaching terms, is one that has been written especially for language students. The argument for using authentic materials is derived from the notion, that the most effective way to develop a particular skill is to rehearse that skill in class. Proponents of authentic materials point out that classroom texts and dialogues do not adequately prepare learners for copying with the language they hear and read in the real world outside the classroom. They argue that if we want learners to comprehend aural and written texts in the real world, then the learners need opportunities for engaging in these real-world texts in class.
Using authentic materials
Using authentic materials is one of the mainstays of an imaginative and motivating higher level course, but rarely features at levels lower than intermediate. There are several reasons for this, primarily a kind of fear that students will panic when faced with language that is largely unfamiliar, and a feeling that to prevent this the language should be edited to the students' level.
In teaching language for learning purposes, the educators’ main goal is to provide learners with the linguistic knowledge about the language. This knowledge includes grammatical rules, vocabulary lists and other linguistic codes. The underlying premise of this approach is that by informing learners about the language, it will help them decode a text in the target language. order to decode the text. Under these circumstances, the language educators tend to create teaching materials that are specifically designed to teach the linguistic concepts of the language.