Using authentic materials in ELT

Teacher training webinars

Using Authentic Materials

For free voiced over presentation visitwww.elt-training.com

Jo Gakonga

What are authentic materials?

What aren’t authentic materials?

What’s wrong with this?

John: How long have you been collecting butterflies?

Mary: I've been collecting them since I entered secondary school.

John: How many butterflies have you collected?

Mary: I've collected about four hundred foreign ones.

John: Are there any rare ones among them?

Mary: Yes, there are some. I got them in Thailand.

John: My hobby is playing football.

Mary: How long have you been playing it?

John: I've been playing it since last year. I can play it pretty well now.

Mary: Another hobby of mine is cooking.

John: Will you cook me a meal?

Mary: Yes, of course!

Is this better?

What kind of food does this woman like?

I absolutely adore fish, particularly white fish, such as sole or haddock, cooked in a little white wine, with some garlic and lemon. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with Japanese recipes, particularly raw fish. Oh, and I love vegetables such as courgettes, broccoli and asparagus and fresh green beans. But I hate them overcooked. Oh, and I’m terribly fond of pasta, but it must be freshly made!

So why use authentic materials?

• A natural model – encourages them to be better readers/ listeners.

• This is the final aim – what they will have to do eventually

• Ss who read and listen extensively acquire language faster/ better

• motivating if successful• topic can be topical/ interesting

Problems

• Level – demotivating if too difficult• Work for the teacher…can date quickly

Solutions

• Choose your material carefully… http://twurdy.com/ http://1000words.net/index.php?showimage=21 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2085838/Ben-Fogle-explains-travels-man-today.html

• Grade the task….

Solutions

• Edit the text…

..shorter…lexically easier

Task examples - Receptive

SkimmingScanningLooking at text organisation

eg paragraphing, topic sentences, etc.

Listening for gistlistening for specific information

Task examples - productive

Speaking - discussion on issues arising from the text Roleplay based on the scenario

Writing - using the article as a model responding in writing

Task examples

• Language

– Vocabulary– Grammar– Discourse analysis

http://scottthornbury.wordpress.com/2012/02/05/c-is-for-construction/

Websites

Ready to go…

• Lessonstream.org• Breakingnewsenglish.com • www.guardian.co.uk/education/tefl

Websites for more extensive reading, listening outside class

Listening• Lyrics training• Elllo• TED• VYou

Reading• Guardian• Daily Mail• 1000 words• Storybird