Assignment 2, Part 2.2
Essay on using authentic materials and internet
A. The value of using authentic materials in foreign language teaching:
Authentic materials mean written or spoken texts that were not written for language teaching (The TEFL
Academy, 2018). By making use of authentic travel material, I found that I added more interest to my
activities and I can make use of real-life examples of language that is used in everyday situations, not just for
learning purposes found in course books, which helps the students to develop a broader language base. It is
a way to make my lesson fun and interesting for the students as they are at an age where they can travel and
enjoy the world if they should choose to do so. By making use of authentic reading material I can provide
information about a target country or place to visit that I want to share with my students. The rich language
that I found in my authentic reading passage also provides a source of input language the students need for
acquisition.
B. Why the text and activities would be appropriate for this class:
Because this is a mixed nationality class of 12 advanced adults, I chose a topic that would be interesting and
fun for all the students involved so that they can learn about countries that no one really talks about because
the countries mentioned is remote destinations. By making use of this travel topic I want to take the students
out of the workbooks and into the real world that we live in. The activities will improve their growing
vocabulary and skills even further while also learning about the world we live in. The students are aware of
their own country’s culture and way of living and this will generate their interest and make them feel more
comfortable discussing the topic.
C. How I went about finding material on the internet:
I started thinking of a fun topic to teach and what would interest the students of this age with mixed
nationalities, also keeping cultural appropriateness in mind. Travel is always an interesting topic, with all the
tricks of the trade available on the internet for the students to do research. I googled a few articles about
travel and found that most of them either describe places people have seen or give tips and tricks about
travelling and I finally came across this interesting article about places in the world that few people know of,
but have abundant tourist destinations, beautiful cities and rich cultures that the students can explore more
in their follow up activity. Budgeting for a trip is also very important information and decided that my Activity
b should focus on my students finding relevant information regarding travel costs.
D. Advantages and disadvantages of using the internet for teaching:
Most of us use the internet in our everyday life’s and by using the internet for teaching and language
resources we make teaching in the classroom fun and interesting for all involved. There are so many
resources on the internet for authentic materials to use in the classroom and this is a big advantage for
teachers who do not necessarily always have the time to come up with new and interesting ideas to keep
their students interested and awake in class (The TEFL Academy, 2018). By making use of the internet in this
assignment and coming up with my own topic and authentic material, I found that the use of authentic
material is not such a daunting task as I thought it was and I learned a lot about using authentic material in
my own classroom someday. One disadvantage that I encountered when searching for authentic material is
to find reputable sources as the grammar on some sites were incorrect and not usable for a classroom
activity.
Essay on using authentic materials and internet
A. The value of using authentic materials in foreign language teaching:
Authentic materials mean written or spoken texts that were not written for language teaching (The TEFL
Academy, 2018). By making use of authentic travel material, I found that I added more interest to my
activities and I can make use of real-life examples of language that is used in everyday situations, not just for
learning purposes found in course books, which helps the students to develop a broader language base. It is
a way to make my lesson fun and interesting for the students as they are at an age where they can travel and
enjoy the world if they should choose to do so. By making use of authentic reading material I can provide
information about a target country or place to visit that I want to share with my students. The rich language
that I found in my authentic reading passage also provides a source of input language the students need for
acquisition.
B. Why the text and activities would be appropriate for this class:
Because this is a mixed nationality class of 12 advanced adults, I chose a topic that would be interesting and
fun for all the students involved so that they can learn about countries that no one really talks about because
the countries mentioned is remote destinations. By making use of this travel topic I want to take the students
out of the workbooks and into the real world that we live in. The activities will improve their growing
vocabulary and skills even further while also learning about the world we live in. The students are aware of
their own country’s culture and way of living and this will generate their interest and make them feel more
comfortable discussing the topic.
C. How I went about finding material on the internet:
I started thinking of a fun topic to teach and what would interest the students of this age with mixed
nationalities, also keeping cultural appropriateness in mind. Travel is always an interesting topic, with all the
tricks of the trade available on the internet for the students to do research. I googled a few articles about
travel and found that most of them either describe places people have seen or give tips and tricks about
travelling and I finally came across this interesting article about places in the world that few people know of,
but have abundant tourist destinations, beautiful cities and rich cultures that the students can explore more
in their follow up activity. Budgeting for a trip is also very important information and decided that my Activity
b should focus on my students finding relevant information regarding travel costs.
D. Advantages and disadvantages of using the internet for teaching:
Most of us use the internet in our everyday life’s and by using the internet for teaching and language
resources we make teaching in the classroom fun and interesting for all involved. There are so many
resources on the internet for authentic materials to use in the classroom and this is a big advantage for
teachers who do not necessarily always have the time to come up with new and interesting ideas to keep
their students interested and awake in class (The TEFL Academy, 2018). By making use of the internet in this
assignment and coming up with my own topic and authentic material, I found that the use of authentic
material is not such a daunting task as I thought it was and I learned a lot about using authentic material in
my own classroom someday. One disadvantage that I encountered when searching for authentic material is
to find reputable sources as the grammar on some sites were incorrect and not usable for a classroom
activity.
