The effect of authentic material on the cultural awareness and motivation of Jordanian EFL learners

Abstract

Language textbooks used in public Jordanian schools are grammar oriented and give little weight to communicative competence. That’s why many language teachers opt for utilizing authentic materials reflecting the various aspects of the target culture that serve to engage students in life-like situations. Thus, this study aims at investigating the effect of using authentic materials on Jordanian EFL learners’ motivation and awareness of the English culture at (ISO) National Schools. An experimental group of tenth graders were taught by using authentic material like videos drawn from the target language culture and a variety of real life situations activities that expose them to the English culture. The new method addresses the speaking skill. A speaking pre-test and an attitude questionnaire were administered before the experiment to measure students’ oral communication and their motivation to integrate into the foreign culture. At the end of the experiment, a post-test was conducted and the results were compared to the control group who were taught by the traditional method. Significant differences were found between the two groups in favour of the experimental one thanks to the utilization of authentic material drawn from the target culture which enhances students’ oral communication skills. Thus, it is recommended that FL curricula should use this material to be skilfully implemented by classroom practitioners.