PD Talk: "Real Language - Real Challenges: Authenticity in ELT Texts and Tasks"

Introduction: This webinar was given on January 29, 2021 as part of the PD Talks Online 2021 public speaker series initiative from Centro Cultural Costarricense Norteamericano, the Mark Twain Library, and the National Conference for Teachers of English Costa Rica (NCTE). 

Session Materials: CLICK HERE to download the PowerPoint presentation from this session.

Abstract: As English teachers, our job is to prepare students to be successful users of the language outside of the classroom. One persistent difficulty that all learners face is how to deal with the challenges of navigating real-life texts (both spoken and written) that were not designed for English learners. Given that the overwhelming majority of texts students encounter outside of the classroom are of this type, it is important that language teachers incorporate authentic texts and tasks as a regular feature of their lessons in order to familiarize students with the characteristics of real language use and provide opportunities to develop their listening and reading skills in a systematic way. In this online workshop we will discuss what authentic materials are, evaluate the potential benefits and challenges of incorporating authentic texts and tasks into our lessons, and explore several frameworks for planning lessons around an authentic text.

Session Goals: In this session we are going to

• Define what authentic materials are in the context of ELT and justify their use.
• Explore several frameworks for planning lessons related to an authentic text.
• Suggest practical strategies to adapt, modify, and source your next authentic text.

Warm Up: Our 2020 Fortune Cookies

2020 was without a doubt a challenging and unexpected year for all of us. Imagine you found a fortune cookie from Januray 2020 than you forgot to open until today. Read your 2020 fortune. Did it come true? Why or why not?

• CLICK HERE to access your virtual fortune.

Reflective Break 1: Introduce yourself to your breakout room partners and discuss the questions in the image below. 

Click to see the full size image.

Reflective Break 2: Introduce yourself to your new breakout room partners and discuss the questions in the image below. 

Click to see full size image.

CLICK HERE to access a collection of authentic written texts. Look through the texts and propose some possible authentic tasks that students could do in response to them.

My Interview Collection

As we saw in this session, a great way to incorporate authentic listening materials in your lessons is to produce them yourself! In the age of cellphones, Whatsapp, and YouTube it is easier than ever to record interviews and oral histories either in person or over the internet. Here are a few of the recordings I have made in recent years for my classes. Perhaps these examples can inspire you to start collecting your own.

• Family Associations Video Worksheet - CLICK HERE

• Trip to Jellyfish Lake - Video Jigsaw Worksheet - CLICK HERE

References:

Burns, A. (2016). Functional Approaches to Teaching Grammar. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Teaching English
Grammar to Speakers of Other Languages (pp. 84-105). Routledge.

McGrath, I. (2016). Materials Evaluation and Design for Language Teaching (2nd ed.). Edinburgh
University Press.

Nation, I.S.P. & Newton, J. (2009). Teaching ESL/EFL Listening and Speaking. Routledge.

Tomlinson, B. (2010). Principles of Effective Materials Development. In N. Harwood (Ed.), English
Language Teaching Materials: Theory and Practice (pp. 81-108). Cambridge University Press.

Tomlinson, B. (2001). Materials Development. In. R. Carter and D. Nunan (Eds.), Teaching English to
Speakers of Other Languages (pp. 66-71). Cambridge University Press.

Ur, P. (1996). A Course in Language Teaching: Practice and Theory. Cambridge University Press.