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 use of authentic materials has been widely supported by ELT professionals due to its
numerous benefits. Given the fact that authentic materials are an excellent source of
comprehensible input, sources such as news or magazine articles, a TED talk, a Youtube video, or a
movie clip, gives the teacher the opportunity to expose the students to real life situations. This not
only provides meaningful and relatable language learning experiences, but also encourages
students to become more actively involved in their language learning process.
On the other hand, implementing authentic materials for listening tasks specifically, offers learners
the possibility to become more aware of different accents which can raise cultural awareness
especially in multilingual classes.
Overall, there is no doubt that authentic materials offer learners a tremendous instance to learn
language that isn’t often included in textbooks or formal teaching materials. Consequently, using
authentic materials in foreign language teaching can expose students to language beyond the
classroom and thus prepare them to face real world situations.
b) Reasons for the selection of this text and the 12 vocabulary items. Rationale for changes to
text, if applicable.
First of all, one of the main reasons for choosing the authentic text is that Artificial Intelligence (AI)
in general is an up-to-date topic. On top of that, the fact that the text is about how AI could affect
or benefit learning foreign languages, makes it even more appealing for students who are actually
making an effort to become proficient in a foreign language. In addition, the text offers a great
opportunity to dive deeper into the subject and get to know more about the impact of AI tools and
language learning. It is also an interesting source to further exploit in the follow-up activities.
In terms of the vocabulary items, I carefully examined the text and looked not only for single words
but also phrases that were essential to comprehend specific ideas related to the main idea of the
text. I also used a vocabulary profiler and considered vocabulary that was at C1 level and above,
taking into account the students’ current level. It is important to mention that not all the
vocabulary items were related specifically to Artificial Intelligence, but words and phrases that
could widen students’ vocabulary in general.
© 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 use of authentic materials has been widely supported by ELT professionals due to its
numerous benefits. Given the fact that authentic materials are an excellent source of
comprehensible input, sources such as news or magazine articles, a TED talk, a Youtube video, or a
movie clip, gives the teacher the opportunity to expose the students to real life situations. This not
only provides meaningful and relatable language learning experiences, but also encourages
students to become more actively involved in their language learning process.
On the other hand, implementing authentic materials for listening tasks specifically, offers learners
the possibility to become more aware of different accents which can raise cultural awareness
especially in multilingual classes.
Overall, there is no doubt that authentic materials offer learners a tremendous instance to learn
language that isn’t often included in textbooks or formal teaching materials. Consequently, using
authentic materials in foreign language teaching can expose students to language beyond the
classroom and thus prepare them to face real world situations.
b) Reasons for the selection of this text and the 12 vocabulary items. Rationale for changes to
text, if applicable.
First of all, one of the main reasons for choosing the authentic text is that Artificial Intelligence (AI)
in general is an up-to-date topic. On top of that, the fact that the text is about how AI could affect
or benefit learning foreign languages, makes it even more appealing for students who are actually
making an effort to become proficient in a foreign language. In addition, the text offers a great
opportunity to dive deeper into the subject and get to know more about the impact of AI tools and
language learning. It is also an interesting source to further exploit in the follow-up activities.
In terms of the vocabulary items, I carefully examined the text and looked not only for single words
but also phrases that were essential to comprehend specific ideas related to the main idea of the
text. I also used a vocabulary profiler and considered vocabulary that was at C1 level and above,
taking into account the students’ current level. It is important to mention that not all the
vocabulary items were related specifically to Artificial Intelligence, but words and phrases that
could widen students’ vocabulary in general.
© 2020 The TEFL Academy. All rights reserved. 1
