Authentic materials
Introduction
Authentic materials refer to the spoken or written language information that has been made in the course of genuine communication and not particularly written for language teaching purposes. Task-based language teaching refers to an overall language learning that sees the tasks that learners do as central to the process of learning. Many researchers in the current world see the use of authentic materials as promoting task-based learning. The process of learning is viewed as a set of communicative tasks that are connected directly to the goals of the curricular. There are five features of a task-based approach to language learning as indicated by Nunan (1991). They include:
- Emphasis on learning to communicate through interacting using the target language.
- Introducing authentic resources to the learning experience.
- Opportunity provisions for students to focus on the learning process together with the language.
- An improvement of the students’ own experiences as essential to contribute elements to classroom learning.
- A trial to connect classroom language learning with the activation of language outside the classroom.
The analysis of the tasks depends on the objectives, settings, and the roles inferred for the teachers and learners. The environment will determine whether authentic materials will be used. The effective accomplishment of the teaching tasks would help the learners to gain skills that are required to master the real-world task.
Theories of language teaching and language
Language learning theories have been there all the years. The theories include;
- Behaviorism by B.F Skinner
According to this theory, all behavior is no more than a response to external stimuli and there is no inborn programming within a person to learn a language at birth. This theory initiates that language learning came about by punishment and reinforcement where people are conditioned into speaking the right thing.
- Schumann’s Acculturation Model
This theory focuses on the social and psychological factors that impact us on the successful acquisition of language (Belet & Güner, 2018). For example, an immigrant is likely to gain their new target language if their language and the targeted language are the same socially if the emigrants’ group is small and not consistent and when there is a higher extent of the similarity between the emigrant’s culture and that of their new place of residence.
Application of authentic materials
Authentic materials are used in the classroom to enhance the ability of the learner to gain knowledge of a foreign language. This makes it easy for them to interact with their peers and their teachers. Many teachers are aware of the benefits and the value of using authentic materials in teaching and learning languages (Al Aufi & Cherif, 2018). The provision of real-life examples of language that are used in every experience. The teachers use these materials to motivate learners and they can be a reminder to the learners that there is a whole population who are using the target language in their lives. The use of authentic materials aims at improving the language skills of learners and also motivating the teachers to enhance their teaching approaches so that language class becomes interesting. The teachers also use authentic materials to measure the progress of the learners concerning the learning of a foreign language.
Advantages of authentic materials
Authentic materials help learners to improve their literacy skills and the capability to comprehend and are conducive for learners who are learning a language such as English in real-life issues. When they experience real-world occurrences through the authentic materials assists them to mend the rift between the knowledge that they have learned in class and the real-life knowledge (Ginaya et al., 2019). Also, learners can attain a natural way of interacting and communicating when they learn from authentic resources. Learners have an opportunity to a language naturally when they are learning authentic tasks that offer learners an engrossed “real-time” surrounding to attain better handling of communication and it also impacts the fluency and the natural acquisition of the language compared with controlled exercise ( Guariento and Morley, 2001). Also, an authentic classroom offers a social surrounding that is important for learners to communicate a new language. They give the most socially suitable and accurate role of the classroom surrounding where the learners get a chance to share their experiences of language learning and solve issues within the place. This will help the learners to acquire new knowledge based on their cognitive ability.
In addition, the use of authentic materials is essential to the learners because they act as a motivation in learning a language. To teachers, it creates a sense of direction that enables them to articulate language in the best way they can. Through this, the teachers can use materials such as magazines, social media texts, and newspapers in the classroom so that they can relate them with what the teacher is teaching them (Ellis, 2003). Additionally, then teachers could use authentic materials in class to help the learners connect with their study life in school. Studies indicate that the capability of students to read are significantly impacted after they have read the magazines, texts from social media in class and newspapers. It also reduces boredom in the classroom as the leaners and the teachers will engage each other regarding real-life situations and therefore, they will get motivated and pay more attention to the texts.
Furthermore, the use of authentic materials gives the learners and teachers a flexible approach in learning and teaching languages, knowledge in abundance, and many expressions that the learners could use in displaying their views in writing or speech. Moreover, these materials help the students to learn a foreign language without difficulties (Guariento and Morley, 2001). For teachers, it provides them with a chance to choose from different listening materials that are appropriate for their learners. It also presents a cultural understanding to both teachers and learners since they can be creative and develop new ideas as they are learning a foreign language. They can also reinforce the direct association between the classroom language and the outside world.
References
Al Aufi, A., & Cherif, S. M. (2018). Learning the English Language in Authentic Settings: A Case Study with Foundation Level Students in Oman.
Belet Boyaci, S. D., & Güner, M. (2018). The Impact of Authentic Material Use on Development of the Reading Comprehension, Writing Skills, and Motivation in Language Course. International Journal of Instruction, 11(2), 351-368.
Ellis, R., (2003). Task-based Language Learning and Teaching, Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=coO0bxnBeRgC&oi=fnd&pg=PP11&dq=Ellis,+R.,+(2003).+Task-based+Language+Learning+and+Teaching,+Oxford:+Oxford+University+Press&ots=sWC2_5rBAW&sig=V2bE2Voe3gLmI44EYz6qryr71f8&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Ellis%2C%20R.%2C%20(2003).%20Task-based%20Language%20Learning%20and%20Teaching%2C%20Oxford%3A%20Oxford%20University%20Press&f=false
Ginaya, G., Somawati, N., Aryana, I. and Putra, I., 2019. Improving Students’ Communicative Competence through Inductive Method Using Authentic Materials. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 10(5), p.1080.
Guariento, W., and Morley, J., (2001)’Text and Task Authenticity in the EFL Classroom’, ELT journal 55 (4): 347-353.
Nunan, D. (1991). Communicative tasks and the language curriculum. TESOL Quarterly, 25 (2), 279-295