Abstract
Authentic materials frequently complement coursebooks since they increase learner motivation and provide a realistic context for tasks relating to learners’ needs. However, using language from natural texts instead of ready-made examples can be counterproductive if not appropriately adapted. For that reason, the ESP teacher must consider the learner’s knowledge of language when preparing tasks, as authentic materials often contain difficult language, unnecessary vocabulary items, and complex language structures. This paper, first, summarizes the main advantages of using such materials in teaching and then focuses on the use of bank advertisements in Business English classes. In order to be properly implemented, these advertisements need to be analyzed in terms of their most frequent features at different linguistic levels. This analysis can help both ESP teachers to relate language instruction to particular universal characteristics of the register and ESP students to acquire language more naturally. Finally, the paper includes several ideas for exercises focusing on different language skills aimed at intermediate and upper-intermediate students.
Highlights
The teaching and learning situation has changed dramatically after communicative language teaching came into existence in the late 1970s and the need for authenticity reappeared
The concept of actual language use in language teaching was introduced and the language classroom was linked to the reality of the outside world
For the purpose of this paper dealing with authenticity in foreign language education, the most appropriate definition of authenticity would be Mishan’s layered description (2005, 18), where authenticity is seen as a set of the following five criteria: (1) provenance and authorship of the text; (2) original communicative and socio-cultural purpose of the text; (3) original context of the text; (4) learning activity engendered by the text; and (5) learners’ attitudes to the text and the activity pertaining to it
Summary
The teaching and learning situation has changed dramatically after communicative language teaching came into existence in the late 1970s and the need for authenticity reappeared. Gilmore (2008, 68) emphasizes this complexity by highlighting a variety of research fields in which authenticity has been explored, including discourse and conversational analysis, pragmatics, cross-cultural studies, sociolinguistics, ethnology, second language acquisition, and motivation research, among others. This paper, first, tries to summarize the common definitions of authenticity together with the main advantages of using such materials in teaching. It discusses the necessity of a thorough pre-analysis of materials before they are brought to class. It concludes with several ideas for exercises focusing on different language skills aimed at intermediate and upper-intermediate students
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