Advantages of Using Authentic Materials

There are several advantages of using authentic material especially in classrooms where English is used as Second Language.

Authentic materials,

expose learners to a wide range of natural language.
brings reality into the classroom and makes the interaction meaningful.
connects the classroom to the outside world and brings the real world into the artificiality of the classroom.
makes the teaching and assessment focus on skills rather than facts of language.
makes the teaching and learning of language move away from delivering a set of facts to be memorized for examination purposes.
helps teachers access readily available, attractively packaged, inexpensive resources and
add variety to classroom activities
helps students practise the skills learnt in the classroom in the outside world when they come across similar materials in real life.

A number of research studies have proved that the use of authentic material results in an overall increase in motivation to learn, a more positive attitude towards learning, as well as increased involvement and interest in the subject matter.  Authentic materials are perceived by the learners as useful, lifelike, and interesting.

To sum up authentic materials,

have a positive effect on learner motivation.
provide authentic cultural information.
provide exposure to real language.
relate more closely to learners' needs.
support a more creative approach to teaching.

Problems of Using Authentic Materials

Some of the authentic materials may contain difficult language, unusual vocabulary items not used in day-to-day life or not immediately useful for the learner, complex language structures. Richards (2001, p. 253) points out these difficulties which cause a burden for the teacher in lower level classes.

Martinez (2002) mentions that authentic materials may be too culturally biased and too many structures are mixed, causing lower levels have a hard time decoding the texts.

To overcome these problems the context in which teachers are working should be the kept in mind as the primary criteria for selection of materials.

Simple materials like notices, bottle labets and reservation forms can be used at the lower levels and more complex materials can be used for advanced levels. There are a lot of materials which are universal and do not show any cultural bias. Such materials may be easy to use with students who are not exposed to outside culture. Once they learn the basic language through the use of such neutral materials they can be exposed to other culture specific materials gradually.

Sample Tasks Based on Authentic Materials

A variety of tasks can be planned from basic levels to advanced levels using authentic materials. At the simplest level students may be asked to read a bottle label or a recipe on the wrapper of instant food and gather information according to specific questions. They can be asked to work in groups and pairs to exchange information based on the products. At the advanced level they can be exposed to complex structures and interaction patterns which involve language used for a variety of functions like requesting, suggesting, persuading, etc.