Assignment C - Part 3
Essay
600-700 word Essay on Using Authentic Materials and the Internet
Please write the essay under the four headings given.
a) The value of using authentic materials in foreign language teaching:
The value of using authentic material while teaching students English is to give them maximum
exposure to materials that are not based on teaching but in everyday life. It helps the students
become confident in reading articles in class, and then when they are comfortable, they can do it
in their own time. Sometimes texts that are made for English classes may feel insincere and
therefore the use of materials that are not made for that can bring enthusiasm into the classroom.
Because of this, students can relate to it or understand it better because it is based on current
situations that are happening in the world. And overall, materials that are authentic can extend
their language skills and knowledge.
b) Reasons for the selection of this text and the 12 vocabulary items. Rationale for changes to
text, if applicable.
The reason why I chose the text based on social media is because I have students that range from
20-40 years old, and because we live in a digital age, I assume my students are acquainted with
social media. This is a great opportunity to get people discussing and using the internet whilst
learning English at the same time. It makes it relatable to the student and doesn’t feel like much of
a chore in class. But because of the frequent use of social media, I wanted them to see a different
perspective by looking at the negative aspects and realities of being online all the time. So, I
wanted them to develop their own ideas about the text so that they could chat to their peers
about it and maximise their English-speaking time. The vocabulary items I chose for the pre-
teaching are all relevant to the text as individual words, and some words don’t link as much but
will help the students to use them in other contexts. Also, there were grouped words such as
‘artificial light’ and ‘browsed the internet’ that I brought up because I believe that the students
would benefit learning the words in that context more than just individually.
c) Why my activities are appropriate for this class:
The reason why I chose to create a dictionary quiz was so that they could look for the pre-teaching
vocabulary for this specific text, and then learn in detail what each word meant but also revising
the words for future tests. Also, it helps them to strengthen their skills by being able to use a
dictionary more efficiently as well as learning what the definition is. In some of the questions I
didn’t just ask for definitions so that the students can think about what they have learnt in
previous lessons. However, for the online activity, it is apparent that most people use the internet
© 2020 The TEFL Academy. All rights reserved. 1
Essay
600-700 word Essay on Using Authentic Materials and the Internet
Please write the essay under the four headings given.
a) The value of using authentic materials in foreign language teaching:
The value of using authentic material while teaching students English is to give them maximum
exposure to materials that are not based on teaching but in everyday life. It helps the students
become confident in reading articles in class, and then when they are comfortable, they can do it
in their own time. Sometimes texts that are made for English classes may feel insincere and
therefore the use of materials that are not made for that can bring enthusiasm into the classroom.
Because of this, students can relate to it or understand it better because it is based on current
situations that are happening in the world. And overall, materials that are authentic can extend
their language skills and knowledge.
b) Reasons for the selection of this text and the 12 vocabulary items. Rationale for changes to
text, if applicable.
The reason why I chose the text based on social media is because I have students that range from
20-40 years old, and because we live in a digital age, I assume my students are acquainted with
social media. This is a great opportunity to get people discussing and using the internet whilst
learning English at the same time. It makes it relatable to the student and doesn’t feel like much of
a chore in class. But because of the frequent use of social media, I wanted them to see a different
perspective by looking at the negative aspects and realities of being online all the time. So, I
wanted them to develop their own ideas about the text so that they could chat to their peers
about it and maximise their English-speaking time. The vocabulary items I chose for the pre-
teaching are all relevant to the text as individual words, and some words don’t link as much but
will help the students to use them in other contexts. Also, there were grouped words such as
‘artificial light’ and ‘browsed the internet’ that I brought up because I believe that the students
would benefit learning the words in that context more than just individually.
c) Why my activities are appropriate for this class:
The reason why I chose to create a dictionary quiz was so that they could look for the pre-teaching
vocabulary for this specific text, and then learn in detail what each word meant but also revising
the words for future tests. Also, it helps them to strengthen their skills by being able to use a
dictionary more efficiently as well as learning what the definition is. In some of the questions I
didn’t just ask for definitions so that the students can think about what they have learnt in
previous lessons. However, for the online activity, it is apparent that most people use the internet
© 2020 The TEFL Academy. All rights reserved. 1
