Authentic Material

In the last years the use of authentic material has been increased and becoming more popular every time. Harmer defines authentic texts (either written or spoken) as:

"those which are designed for native speakers; they are real texts designed not for language students but for the speakers of the language in question". - Harmer(1991)

 On the same perspective, Nunan(1989) defines authentic materials as material which  has not been specifically produced the purposes of language teaching.

Rogers and Medley(1988) state that videotaped materials offer more clues for comprehension to the students than other materials because of the visual and nonverbal clues. Most students today have grown up with television and are accustomed to gaining knowledge about the world from the television screen as well as from books and newspapers. Using authentic videotaped materials to　teach the target language is effective not only teaching the target language, but also in teaching the target culture.

For example: The teacher shows the students a video where some native speakers talk about their favorite sport in a survey for ESPN channel. The students beside learning new vocabulary, they are learning unconsciously about the United States culture.

But also, many students are not used to the normal-speed conversation of a native speaker, this may be a challenge for them at the first levels. So that is why it is important for ESL teachers to keep in mind that videotaped materials should be used to stimulate rather than to discourage student responses. 

Now let's talk about the advantages and the disadvantages of using authentic material.

Little, Devitt, and Singleton(1989) state that authentic texts are more likely to have acquisition-promoting content than invented texts because authentic texts focus on content rather than form. One disadvantage is that because there are　often no support materials with authendc videos, preparing lessons from　 authentic texts and videos can be more time consuming than EFT,-specific　 materials. Also, many authentic listening passages are too long for teaching. On the other hand, authentic materials can provide a challenge to students and　 serve to prepare EFL students for real target language communicative　 interaction.　

Pronunciation

Some authentic children's programs, such as Sesame Street, show native　 speakers modeling pronunciation. Children's programs are very useful in　helping students acquire accurate pronunciation of the target language. 　

This helps EFL students to realize the phonological difference between their　first and second languages, particularly if the instructor uses videotaped　 materials to teach how to produce sounds in the target language at an early　 stage of instruction. Conversely, non-children's programs present native　 speakers speaking naturally; others show native speakers' different regional　 accents, providing students with a range of real world speech.　

Tv commercials

Authentic TV commercials in the target language are especially valuable for　EFL learners because they are short and contain a great deal of redundancy.　 Short, action-oriented commercials can also increase understanding because　 there is sufficient visual support. Many TV commercials are mini-dramas in　which meaning is conveyed through body language, facial expressions and　 other nonverbal clues that students can draw upon to increase their　understanding.　

　A TV commercial is full of environmental clues that help the learner to understand what the topic is about, more than the actual conversation among the native speakers. Students can also learn cultural background when the commercial shows customs specific to the target culture.

Songs

Abrate(1983) pointed out five benefits of utilizing popular songs of the target language:

1) holding the attention and interests of students

2) introducing native and colloquial use of language

3) presenting cultural phenomena and points of view

4) providing a context for learning

5) furnishing an entertaining alternative to textbook study.

In conclusion, we can say that the authentic material is the type of material that is not design with the purpose of teaching. Examples of authentic materials can be Videos, songs, documentaries, newspapers, TV commercials; but all these have to be spoken or written in the target language.

Sometimes working with authentic material can be more time consuming because, teachers have to select the appropiate material, thus this type of material is not already created for teaching. Also some videos or podcast can be too long for a class.

Students are exposed to learn about the target culture if they work with authentic material, because videotaped authentic material often shows cultural background or clues that help the learner to discover what the video is talking about.

Bibliography and references:

Harmer, J. (2008). Popular Methodology. In The practice of English language teaching (4.th ed., p. 448). Harlow: Pearson/Longman.  

Little, D., Devitt, S.& Singleton, D.(1989). Learning foreign language from authentic texts: Theory　 and practice. Dublin: Authentic Language Learning Resources.

Matsusa, Ken. "Applications for Using Authentic Materials in the Second Language Classroom." (n.d.): 41-43. Applications For Using Authentic Materials In The Second Language Classroom. 16 May 2013. Web. 24 May 2015.