On the issue of authentic materials in language learning

 

Gauriva G.M. candidate of pedagogical science, associate professor

Kairat Merei, master student

L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University

In language teaching, there are many approaches and methods leading to students’ foreign language acquisition. These approaches are meant to prepare students to be able to use a foreign or second language accurately and properly. For this purpose a variety of sources of the target language is used. Among the other sources, it is recommended to use the authentic materials in order to provide students with the benefits they can get from being exposed to the language in such materials.

To begin with, Martínez (2002), remarks authentic materials as “Material designed for native speakers of English”. [1,2]  In addition, Nunan (1999), defines authentic materials as “[…] genuine communication and not specifically written for purpose of language teaching.[2]

Furthermore, Yuanyuan Z. & Lingzhu J. points out some short definitions for authentic materials. “They are real language”; “produced for the native speakers”; “designed without the teaching purposes”. [3] As it is suggested by these authors, authentic materials are rich in offering real situations that are not necessarily for teaching, but can help the learners acquiring new expressions and vocabulary, thus interact with the language as it is used in a real context.

Based on Musallam, E. (2006) definition of authentic materials, it is worth it to say that authentic materials help students to develop a richer aspect concerning on communication in the target language. In other words, through authentic materials as in this case videos, the learners can develop their listening skill more complete, since they can understand what the speakers are saying not only for what they hear, but because of the gestures, and facial expressions that native speakers of English use in a conversation.

Another significant concept concerning with authentic materials has to deal with Rogers & Medley (1988) statement (cited by Thanajaro, 2000), who used the term "authentic" to refer to "language samples ... that reflect a naturalness of form, and an appropriateness of cultural and situational context that would be found in the language as used by the native speakers". [4,311] With reference to the previously said, it is applicable to state that this kind of material includes many aspects such as: the cultural components (expressions, idioms and jargon) as well as the way the language is commonly used by the native speakers in their context.

Yerohin A.A., Kuimova M.V think that the work with video materials at foreign language classes makes the learning process enthralling and unusual, develops communication skills, helps to expand horizons, increase vocabulary and improve grammar. Video materials present learners the speech of native speakers; immerse them in a situation in which they learn the language of facial expressions and gestures, style, relationships and realities of the country where the language is spoken.[5,1342]

The authentic materials can be classified as follows:

1.       Authentic Listening/ Viewing Materials – such as TV commercials, quiz shows, cartoons, movies, professionally audio-taped short stories and songs, documentaries, or sales pitches.

2.       Authentic Visual Materials – such as slides, photographs, paintings, wordless street signs, pictures from magazines, postcard pictures, or wordless picture books.

3.       Authentic Printed Materials – such as newspaper articles, movie advertisements, astrology columns, sports reports, advice columns, lyrics to songs, restaurant menus, street signs, cereal boxes, tourist information brochures, university catalogues, telephone books, TVguides, comic books, pins with messages, or bus schedules.

4.       Realia (“Real world“ objects) Used in EFL/ ESL Classrooms – such as coins and currency, folded paper, wall clocks, phones, Halloween masks, dolls, and puppets, to name a few. (Realia are often used to illustrate points very visually or for role-play situations.)[3]

As authentic videos use real language, this is a positive factor which increases learners’ motivation as suggested by Thanajaro (2000) who remarks, “The use of authentic videos in ESL or EFL classrooms has a positive effect on learners’ motivation to learn the language”. In other words, the specific facts shown in the authentic videos, such as: the images, the language used in the video, and the content, create a different environment in the classroom, which is motivating for the learners.

To sum up the advantages of authentic materials we conclude that they:

1.       Help prepare learners for the ‘real’ world of communication;

2.       Guide learners toward the language they need for their particular context;

3.       create a solid link between the studied materials and their practical application;

4.       provide speech patterns and a model for imitation;

5.       foster language acquisition;

6.       increase knowledge about another culture [6,7,8,9].

The use of authentic videos can also have a variety of disadvantages which are mentioned bellow. To begin with, Ciccone (1995), Rogers & Medley (1998) et Al. maintain that “beginner language learners may experience extreme frustration when confronted by an authentic material”; the authors refer to the idea that the use of authentic videos should be implemented in higher levels, since beginner learners might have problems because of lack of proficiency in the language. Nevertheless, the difficulties of using authentic videos do not concern on the level of proficiency, but on the tasks the teacher uses in the classroom, Cook (1996).

In addition,(Martinez, 2002) states: “one of the biggest disadvantages of using videos for listening comprehension is that it requires special preparation which can be time consuming for the teacher.” The problem here is that authentic videos have a lot of cultural content, which can require the teacher to look for relevant information useful for the students before introducing this kind of material. Also for the teacher it is a challenge, since he/she has to find relevant and appropriate authentic videos, analyze and organize them in a pedagogical way.

Choosing video materials, a teacher should pay attention to the following criteria

1.       contemporary language, relevant to the standards of the literary language;

2.       video must have natural pauses between sentences;

3.       video should match the level of learners’ language knowledge;

4.       video should correspond to the syllabus;

5.       slang expressions and exclamations should be short enough and not too difficult to understand;

6.       the text should not be overloaded with new words, expressions and gestures of strangers;

7.       video should be divided into meaningful segments, lasting no more than 10–15 minutes.

Authenticity has been pointed to by various authors as a relevant feature in EFL methodology and thus, authentic materials constitute an aspect traditionally emphasized in the ELT literature.[10] As we learnt earlier, the authentic materials should be taken from the real world and not primarily created for pedagogical reasons. Such materials are particularly important for communicative purposes since they reproduce an immersion environment and provide a realistic context for tasks that relate to learner’s needs. Authentic materials can greatly benefit problem-solving, project-based learning, case-based learning, role-play, and simulation and gaming methodology. Students and teachers can use authentic materials as a means to “link the formal, and to some extent artificial, environment of the classroom with the real world in which we hope our students will eventually be using the language they are learning”.[10,55] The extra time involved for teachers in planing for the use of authentic materials to supplement lessons is well worth it. According to Brinton (1991), authentic materials and media can reinforce for students the direct relationship between the language classroom and the outside world. Gebhard (1996) sees authentic materials as a way to “contextualize” language learning. When lessons are centered on comprehending a menu or a TV weather report, students tend to focus more on content and meaning rather than the language itself. This offers students a valuable source of language input, so that they are not being exposed only to the language presented by the text and the teacher. Brosnan et al. (1984) justify the importance of the use of auth. Language in the classroom in this way:

1.       Language is natural. By simplifying the L or altering it for teaching purposes (limiting structures, controlling vocabulary, etc.) we risk making the task more difficult. We may, in fact, be removing clues to meaning.

2.       Authentic language offers students the chance to deal with a small amount of material, which, at the same time, contains complete and meaningful message.

3.       Authentic printed materials provide students with the opportunity to make use of non-linguistic clues (layout, pictures, colors, symbols…) to help to discover the meaning more easily.

While Nunan realizes that it is not realistic for teachers to use only the authentic materials in the classroom, he makes a point that “learners should be fed as 16 rich a diet of authentic data as possible, because, ultimately, if they only encounter contrived dialogues and listening texts, their learning task would be made more difficult”. [2,27] He also goes on to say that it is important that learners listen and read authentic materials of as many different kinds as possible. This will help to motivate the students by bringing the content and the subject matter to life for them, and enable them make important connections between the classroom world and the world beyond it. As teachers can readily understand, authentic texts/materials are produced for the target community, not for language teaching. But, by using them in class, teachers welcome the target culture into their classrooms, making their classes a more natural environment for language learning (Erkaya, 2005).

Thus, authentic materials have a noticeable contribution in language learning. They raise learners’ interest, increase learning motivation, help to realize the relationship between the language that is learnt in the class and the language used in the foreign language environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Reference

 

1.     Martinez, A.G. (2002). Authentic materials: An overview. Free resources for teachers and students of English, Karen's Linguistics Issues, 1-7.

2.     Nunan, D. (1999). Second Language Teaching and Learning. Boston: Heinle and Heinle Publishers.

3.     Yuan Yuan, Z. Lingzhu, J. (2010). The Use of Authentic Materials in Teaching EFL Listening. Retrieved December 5, 2010 from http://www.hltmag.co.uk/aug10/mart03.htm.

4.     Rogers, C., and Medley, F., Jr. (1998). Language with a purpose: using Authentic Materials in the Foreign Language. Annals, 21,267-468.

5.     Åðîõèí À. À., Êóèìîâà Ì. Â. To the issue of authentic video materials in foreign language teaching // Ìîëîäîé ó÷åíûé. — 2015. — ¹11. — Ñ. 1342-1343.

6.     Êóèìîâà Ì. Â., Êîáçåâà Í. À. Advantages and disadvantages of authentic materials use in EFL classrooms // Ìîëîäîé ó÷åíûé. 2011. ¹ 3–2. Ñ. 125–127.

7.     Content video in the EFL classroom. http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Furmanovsky-Videos.html (accessed May 23, 2015). 3.     

8.     Practical aspects of using video in the foreign language classroom http://iteslj.org/Articles/Canning-Video.html (accessed May 23, 2015).

9.      Ten task-based ESL/EFL video lessons http://iteslj.org/Lessons/McGill-VideoActivities.html (accessed May 23, 2015).

10.           Safont, M. P. and Esteve, M. J. 2004. «Online resources for the EAP classroom: Ways of promoting EFL learners’ autonomy». In Linguistic Studies in Academic and Professional English, eds. Inmaculada Fortanet, Juan Carlos Palmer, and Santiago Posteguillo, 261- 274. Castellón: Universitat Jaume I.