Authenticity in the Foreign Language Classroom

I. Authentic Materials:
Nunan (1989): any material which has not been specifically produced for the
purpose of language teaching. (as cited in acdonald! "adger #$hite! %&&&)
"acon # 'innemann (199&): authentic materials are te(ts produced by nati)e
spea*ers for a non+pedagogical purpose.
II. Authentic Vs Non-authentic Materials:
Authentic Materials
,anguage data produced for real
life communication purposes.
-hey may contain false starts! and
incomplete sentences.
-hey are useful for impro)ing the
communicati)e aspects of the
language.
Non-Authentic Materials
-hey are specially designed for
learning purposes.
-he language used in them is
artificial. -hey contain well formed
sentences all the time.
-hey are useful for teaching
grammar.
(.dams! 199/0 iller! %&&1)
III. Sources for Authentic Materials: (iller! %&&1)
Newspapers and aga2ines.
3adio.
-ele)ision4 5ideo.
6nternet.
Example of Authentic Materials: (7edge! %&&&0 "aird! %&&8)
Spoken: -5 commercials! films! news items! weather forecasts! airport and station
announcement! radio tal*s! inter)iews! and debates.
Written: recipes! articles! train timetables! ad)ertisements! brochures! poems! application
forms! and instruction for use of e9uipment.
IV. Criteria for Selecting and Using Authentic Materials:
A. Important factors in selecting authentic materials:
-e(tual authenticity
:uitability of content
;ompatibility with course ob<ecti)es
=(ploitability
(,ee! 199/)
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. At !hich le"el the# can $e used%
-his issue has been surrounded by contro)ersy in the field of language teaching. :ome
researchers such as >ilic*aya (%&&8) and >im (%&&&) claim that authentic materials can
be used with intermediate and ad)anced le)el students only. ?n the other hand! others
belie)e that all le)els of students! e)en lower le)els! are able to manage using authentic
materials (cNeil! 19980 iller! %&&/).
C. &o! Can the# $e Used in the Classroom%
.uthentic materials must be used in accordance with students@ ability. ("aird!
%&&8)
-he te(t should be used to ser)e its original purpose as if it is used outside the
classroom. 'or e(ample! if students are wor*ing with health brochures! they
must loo* for information they need! rather than a list of new words chosen by
the teacher (Aacobson! Begener! # Curcell+Dates! %&&1). 6n this respect!
-aylor (1998) states that authenticity is not a characteristic of a te(t in itself:
it is a feature of a te(t in a particular conte(t. -herefore! a te(t can only be
truly authentic in the conte(t for which it was originally written.
V. '#pes of Authenticit#:
"reen (198/) identifies four types of authenticity within language teaching. 7e indicates
that these types are in continual interrelationship with one another during any language
lesson. -hese types include:
1. .uthenticity of the te(ts which we may use as input data for our learners.
%. .uthenticity of the learners@ own interpretations of such te(ts.
1. .uthenticity of tas*s conducti)e to language learning.
8. .uthenticity of the actual social situation of the language classroom.
=ach one of these types will be discussed below.
(. Authenticit# of the texts !hich !e ma# use as input data
for our learners:
-his refers to the authentic 9ualities of a gi)en te(t. .uthentic te(ts for language learning
are any sources of data which ser)es as a means to help the learner to de)elop an authentic
interpretation.
). Authenticit# of the learners* o!n interpretations of such
texts:
,earner authenticity means that the learner must disco)er the con)entions of
communication in the target language which will enable him or her to gradually come to
interpret meaning within the te(t in ways which are li*ely to be shared with fluent users of
the language.
+. Authenticit# of tas,s conducti"e to language learning:
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-as* authenticity reflects the purpose to which language input is put. 6t means that the
chosen tas*s should in)ol)e the learners not only in authentic communication with te(ts
and others in the classroom! but also in learning and the purpose of learning.
-. Authenticit# of the actual social situation of the language
classroom:
-he authenticity of the classroom is a special social e)ent and en)ironment wherein people
share a primary communicati)e purpose that is learning. -he authentic role of the language
classroom is the pro)ision of those conditions in which the participants can publicly share
the problems! achie)ements and o)erall process of learning a language together as a social
acti)ity.
VI. &o! can spea,ing and !riting acti"ities $e authentic%
7edge (%&&&) indicates that spea*ing and writing can be authentic if they reflect the
rele)ant criteria for tas* design discussed earlier! and also mirror the real world purposes
and situations in which and for which language is used. =(amples of such tas*s are:
. note to a neighbor apologi2ing for a noisy party.
. letter of complaint about a product to the manufacturer.

VII. Arguments for . against the Use of Authentic Materials:
Arguments for Using Authentic Materials:
.uthentic materials ha)e a positi)e effect on learner moti)ation.
-hey pro)ide authentic cultural information.
-hey pro)ide e(posure to real language.
-hey relate more closely to learners E needs and interests.
-hey support a more creati)e approach to teaching.
-hey pro)ide a wide )ariety of te(t types! language styles not easily found in
con)entional teaching materials.
Fnli*e traditional teaching materials! authentic materials are continuously updated.
-hey ha)e a positi)e effect on comprehension and learner satisfaction.
(>ilic*aya! %&&80 c*night! 199/0 $ong! >wo*! # ;hoi! 199/0 "erado! %&&G)
Arguments against Using Authentic Materials:
.uthentic materials often contain difficult language! unneeded )ocabulary items
and comple( language structures! which causes a burden for the teacher in lower+
le)el classes and demoti)ate low le)el students.
.uthentic materials may be too culturally biased.
any structures are mi(ed in such materials0 causing lower le)els ha)e a hard time
decoding the te(ts.
-he use of authentic materials is time consuming for the teachers.
.uthentic materials may not e(pose students to comprehensible input at the earliest
stages of ac9uisition.
(Duariento # orley! %&&10 artine2! %&&%0 >im! %&&&)
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VIII. /hat Can e 0one to 1"ercome the 0i2culties !e 3ace in
Integrating Authentic Materials in the 4anguage Classroom%
:implification of the te(ts.
Besign tas*s for partial comprehension.
("erardo! %&&G0 Duariento # orley! %&&1)
I5. Authenticit# in the Saudi Context:
Attitudes to!ards authenticit# among English teachers:
6nter)iews with some teachers who teach =nglish as a foreign language in :audi
.rabia ha)e been conducted. 6 as*ed them about their attitudes toward the use of
authentic materials in their classes. :ome of their responses are:
Br. N ((teaches =', at >ing :aud Fni)ersity)
I am with the use of authentic materials in the Saudi context, actually in any
context in the world. But we have to take some points in consideration such as the
students level. !herefore, I "elieve that such materials must "e implemented
#radually in order not to cause a shock for the students.$
rs. ay (a super)isor of the =nglish department at a pri)ate school in 3iyadh)
I wish that authentic materials can "e used in our schools since they connect the
students with the real lan#ua#e. %owever, I suspect that the students can handle
such materials "ecause of their low &n#lish level. I think that we first need some
improvements in our forei#n lan#ua#e teachin# plans, and then we can think of
such an excellent techni'ue.$
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6eferences:
.dams! -. (199/). What (akes (aterials )uthentic* (=36; Bocument 3eproduction
:er)ice No. =B 191189).
"acon! :.! # 'inneman! . (199&). . study of attitudes! moti)es! and strategies of
uni)ersity foreign language students and their disposition to authentic oral and
written input. (odern +an#ua#e ,ournal, -.(8)! 8/9+H1.
"aird! >.! # 3edmond! ! (=ds.). (%&&8). !he use of authentic materials in the /012
french pro#ram. $inston+:alem! N;: $a*e 'orest Fni)ersity! Bepartment of
=ducation.
"erardo! :. (%&&G). -he use of authentic materials in the teaching of reading. !he 3eadin#
(atrix, 4 (25, G&+G9.
"reen! . (198/). .uthenticity in the language classroom. )pplied +in#uistics 4, G&+H&.
Duariento! $.! # orley. (%&&1). -e(t and tas* authenticity in the =', classroom. &+!
,ournal, 66 (.5, 18H + 1/1.
7edge! -. (%&&&). !eachin# and +earnin# in the lan#ua#e 7lassroom. ?(ford: ?(ford
Fni)ersity Cress.
Aacobson! =.! Begener! :.! # Curcell+Dates! 5. (%&&1). 7reatin# )uthentic (aterials and
)ctivities for the )dult +iteracy 7lassroom: a hand"ook for 8ractitioners. N;:.,,.
>ilic*aya. '. (%&&8). .uthentic materials and cultural content in =', classrooms. !he
Internet !&S+ ,ournal, 19 (-5. 3etrie)ed No)ember 1! %&&G from
http:44itesl<.org4-echni9ues4>ilic*aya+.utenticaterial.html
>im! B. (%&&&). . 9ualitati)e approach to the authenticity in the foreign language
classroom: a study of uni)ersity students learning =nglish in >orea. !exas 8apers in
:orei#n +an#ua#e &ducation, 6 (15, 189+%&/.
,ee! $. (199/). .uthenticity re)isited: te(t authenticity and learner authenticity. &+!
,ournal, .; (.5, 1%1+1%8.
acdonald! .! "adger! 3.! # $hite! D. (%&&&). -he real thingI: authenticity and
academic listening. &n#lish for Specific 8urposes, 1;! %/1+%GH.
artine2! .. (%&&%). )uthentic materials: )n overview. /aren<s +in#uistic Issues.
3etrie)ed ?ctober %/! %&&G from
http:44www1.telus.net4linguisticsissues4authenticmaterials.html
c*night! .. (199/). Cragmatics and -=:?,: Fsing .uthentic ,anguage Bata. Caper
presented at the "iennial eeting of the =,-. 6nternational ;onferencein
6nno)ations in .pproaches to the -eaching and ,earning of =nglish! >uala ,umpur!
alaysia.
cNeill! .. (1998). What (akes )uthentic (aterials =ifferent* !he 7ase of &n#lish
+an#ua#e (aterials for &ducational !elevision. Capers presented at the .nnual
6nternational ,anguage in =ducation ;onference! 7ong >ong.
iller! ,. (%&&1). Be)eloping listening s*ills with authentic materials. &S+ (a#a>ine, 4
(15, 1G+19.
iller! . (%&&/). Improvin# aural comprehension skills in &:+, usin# authentic
materials: an experiment with university students in ?i#ata, ,apan. Fnpublished
master@s thesis! Fni)ersity of :urrey! .ustralia.
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-aylor! B. (1998). 6nauthentic authenticity or authentic inauthenticityI !&S+0&,, 1(25.
3etrie)ed No)ember 1! %&&G from http:44www+writing.ber*eley.edu4-=:,+
=A4e<&%4a.1.html
$ong! 5.! >wo*! C.! # ;hoi! N. (199/). -he use of authentic materials at tertiary le)el.
&:+ ,ournal, .; (.5. 118+1%%.
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