Throw away the course book and adapt authentic materials

Do you find it difficult to find suitable authentic materials to use in your classroom? Larry Lynch argues that it may be just a question of knowing how to adapt them.

Use Authentic Materials?

If asked why they rely heavily on course books for English language teaching, among a variety of other reasons, one that emerges is the seeming unsuitability of available authentic materials. Principal reasons cited for this “unsuitability” can include:

• Unsuitable material level
• Too difficult
• Too long or short
• Use of grammar or language
• Irrelevancy of themes
• Not adapted for specific use
• Not adapted to student learning styles

While these factors are certainly present and accountable, they need not prohibit the use of authentic materials in the English language learning classroom. Let’s briefly examine how authentic materials might be incorporated into an English language teaching curriculum or course of study.

Availability of Authentic Materials

Authentic, that is, materials produced primarily for the use of native speakers of the target language, are easily available from a number of sources for most of the world. Some more common sources include:

• Books
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• TV
• Radio
• Internet
• Videos
• Audiocassettes
• Course books
• CDs
• Libraries

Most of these sources are readily available even in remote or poor regions of the world. In more highly “developed” regions, they may all be potential sources of materials for the English language learning classroom.

Adapting Authentic Materials

Successfully utilizing a continuing series of authentic materials in your English language learning classroom is simply a matter of adapting those materials to suit the needs of your language learners. Some keys to successful adaptation of authentic materials include:

• converting them into workshop activities
• adjusting the length of the materials
• simplifying or explaining key language elements
• converting authentic materials into a variety of exercise types

Learners benefit from listening materials spoken at “normal” conversational speed vs. English language learner directed listening materials which have been “altered” or “slowed” to enable “improved comprehension”. All well and good, but if the learners ever need to apply that learning and listening practice in a real-life situation – they’re lost. Why? Because – no – body – talks – like – this – in – real –life – in – any - language. (gasp!)

Authentic language videos, CDs, newscasts and radio programs can provide invaluable insight into current events and cultural aspects of English-speaking countries for language teachers and learners in other parts of the world. A benefit of recorded material is the ability to be able to rewind and repeat it as many times as necessary in order to effect increased levels of listening comprehension. The impact of the imagery provided in these clips is incalculable. Course books which are written and marketed for “use in all the world”, simply cannot hold up to this level of cultural knowledge and impact.

So even if you can’t “throw away your course book”, do realistically consider adapting more authentic materials for use in your English language learning classroom. You’ll ultimately be glad you did.

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an ELT Teacher Trainer, English language learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. He has published more than 350 articles and academic papers and presented at numerous EFL teacher training and TEFL conferences throughout North America, South America and Europe. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com

Related links

Authentic material in the ESL classroom
ESL resources
Downloadable classroom activities

Using Authentic Video in the Language Classroom
This book guides and supports teachers with plenty of practical suggestions for activities which can be used with drama, soap opera, comedy, sports programmes and documentaries. Many of the activities will lend themselves for use with DVD and webcasts.

Comments

• I think you could also include letters, bills, city /theatre/cinema guides, advertisements and the students' own texts amongst the authentic materials. Using authentic materials is certainly very beneficial to the students learning - the main drawback is the amount of time the tutor has to spend creating the activities!
  Lyn
• Authentic materials are great... BUT.... it can be hours of work to adapt them, and when you consider sometimes 2 to 3 hours of work for every hour spent in the classroom, they become less appealing to prepare, although this, of course depends on your teaching schedule.
  Anonymous
• While it is certainly true that adapting some materials can be time-consuming, it's also true that once you've done the work, you can re-use the materials over and over again with other groups, private students and again the next course, next year or next institution, for that matter. If you continue to build your personal teaching library of adapted authentic materials your workload will ultimately decrease - often dramatically - instead of being a continual hassle. Many materials never go "out-of-date" so you could use them virtually forever. I still have materials which are 10 or more years "old" that are as useful today as they were more than a decade ago. Remember, you don't have to keep re-inventing the wheel. Just keep using it to continue to roll along.
  Thanks for post your comments everyone.
  Prof. Larry Lynch
• I think your book is very appealing and beneficial to use. I just want to know how much will it cost for me to buy a copy.
  Dowrie
• I suppose we have to be careful of how we use and 'adapt' the use of authentic material. Many times there is copyright rules (unfortunately) and this limits the use even in modifying the content.
  Debbie
• First I am so happy I got this information. Because I was preparing for a presentation on this topic. The article is totally relevant! Our students need to work with this type of material "real life, real world material". Now that I am not only working with a text book it is so weird to listen to a real life conversation and a taped dialogue. The pace, the voice, intonation, hesitation even the mistakes committed by people when talking are necessary to get use to life like conversations and use of a second language.
  Hazel
• These materials really help teachers in doing their jobs, and I do hope that there will be better materials in the future...
  Nasrum
• I would like to know if adapted material is still authentic material? I mean, if you have to adapt some authentic material becuase of your students' limguistic competence, is the adapted material still authentic?
  Xiomara
• Could you give me some practical examples of how to adapt materials such as newspaper/magazine articles? Aside from:
  
  - creating gap-fills (for grammar or vocabulary learning)
  - comprehension questions
  - inserting deliberate errors to be edited
  - getting students to summarize the text
  
  I don't have much creativity in this area and would like to use authentic materials much more than I do at present. My students are generally upper-intermediate - advanced. Thank you for any suggestions.
  Joe

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