There are lots of resources available to English teachers today: from textbooks to online teaching tools, they can all aid and enrich English lessons. Many ESL teachers also introduce authentic English material into their lessons to expose learners to the language as it is spoken in the real world.
Authentic material is any material written in English that was not created for intentional use in the English classroom. Using this content for teaching English can make the teaching experience even more engaging, imaginative and motivating for students. It can also be useful to elicit genuine responses from English language learners.
The great thing about using authentic material is that it is everywhere, which makes it easy to find, and simple for learners to practice English in their own time. Remember that it isn’t limited to articles from newspapers and magazines. Songs, TV programs and films, radio and podcasts, leaflets, menus – anything written in English constitutes authentic material.
The best content to select depends on the learners, their level of English and the course content the English teacher wishes to focus on. It’s also a good idea to find out the learners’ interests – after all, there’s no point trying to get students fascinated by a text on the latest sci-fi movie if they’re all fans of action films.
The materials should reflect a situation that a student may face in an English-speaking environment – this will help them transition into a world where English is the norm. In this world, people use abbreviations, body language is important and they’ll use 'filler' sounds – such as 'ummm' – when they are speaking English – and learners will encounter these in authentic material.
It’s important not to overwhelm learners with the first piece of authentic material. So, choose articles, songs or sections of TV programs or movies that aren’t too difficult to understand or take too long to get through.
Here are two ideas for using authentic material in class: do remember to develop the ideas into a proper lesson plan and explain the aims thoroughly to your learners…
Food is important to everyone, so introduce language learners to some of the common dishes in English-speaking countries so that they will be able to order meals with confidence. Many restaurants have their menus online, so you can easily download them (no need to walk or drive around the neighborhood).
Try to use local restaurants to make it more meaningful for your students, and ensure you have plenty of copies of the menu. You can then either go through the menu and ask each student to guess what the meals are, or they can write down what they would order. You could use different menus for each course, which would widen the types of dishes you can cover during the learning activity. You or another team member could pretend to be the waiter or waitress and your students can practice their spoken English by reading their order back to you.
At the end of the task, you could encourage learners to add up the cost of their courses to calculate their bill – and even ask them to add on a 10% tip to mirror the experience of being in a real restaurant. Remember, these suggestions focus on different skills, so you could use them to form lesson plans for a 'speaking' lesson, a “reading” lesson, etc.
Listening tosongs with English lyricsis an excellent way of boosting skills in listening and pronunciation, and confidence in using the language.And students will always respond positively to English classes that involve their favorite singer or band.
Ask your students to write down their favorite artist and a song by them that they like and have listened to a few times. They can then try to remember the lyrics, or look at the video on YouTube – they only need to write down a few lines of the song. Then ask them to listen to the lyrics for useful vocabulary, phrases and expressions for everyday language, including colloquial speech.
The language used in lyrics can be casual, tell a simple story or convey strong emotions, which should help learners to establish a connection with the language because it will give them new ways to describe their feelings in different situations. You could even ask them to come up with alternative words, as a way of further increasing and using their vocabulary.
Some song lyrics are commonly misheard, so you could create a quiz in which students have to choose the next words – words that grammatically fit into the lyrics. This can be a funny English lesson – for you as well as your students.
Help level up your English language program with our Global Scale of English teaching resources.
For other foreign language needs we also have the Global Scale of Languages.
In a previous blog, we shared somestrange English phrases that might have left you with some questions. The English language is full of peculiar phrases that can even confuse fluent speakers. In today's post, we'll take a look at a few more such phrases to help you expand your repertoire.
English is the second most widely spoken language – it is estimated that nearly two billion people worldwide can speak English at a useful level. That means they can hold a conversation with other English-speaking people.
A report by the attests the importance of the English language to the world, and says thatsecond-language English speakers far outnumber fluent English speakers. It also recognizes how being able to speak English can give individuals a competitive edge over others. If you're asking the question, "Why should I learn English?", read on to find out more...
Not everything can be taught in the classroom – that’s why we’ve put together a list of 10 English words, slang terms and figures of speech for you to sprinkle into your English conversations. Not sure how to use them? Don’t worry, we’ve included definitions and examples of how to use them in a sentence.
A song or tune that, once you’ve heard it, is stuck in your head.
Use it: “That new Taylor Swift song is such an earworm!”
Spending your holiday in your hometown rather than traveling abroad. Often spent relaxing around the house or doing activities in the local area.
Use it: “I’m having a staycation this summer, as I’m trying to save money.”
An episode or series created exclusively for online viewing. This can be part of a web series or used to promote a television series.
Use it: “There’s a new Breaking Bad webisode online, have you seen it?”
Funding a project or business venture by asking a large number of people (typically online) to invest a small amount of money – usually via websites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo.
Use it: “We raised enough money to launch our business using crowdfunding.”
Glamorous camping! Avoiding any rough conditions with luxurious facilities and accommodation, such as a yurt or cabin.
Use it: “We’re going to be glamping at Glastonbury this year.”
Something or someone that closely resembles something else, often used to describe someone who looks very similar to a celebrity.
Use it: “Have you seen the Prince William and Kate Middleton lookalikes over there?”
This word has a more political significance, in terms of gaining land or ownership. However, its modern usage is commonly in the workplace: The act of passing over control or responsibility to another person while you are off work on holiday or leaving a job.
Use it: “I’ll send my notes in a handover email so you can continue the project while I’m away.”
When something is a little uninspiring or dull. Also a word you could use to describe your lack of interest or indifference. It’s basically a verbal shrug.
Use it: “The film was a bit meh.”
Watching multiple episodes of a TV show, one after another, in a single sitting. Usually, with a DVD box set or using online streaming.
Use it: “I’m planning to binge-watch the entire series of Game of Thrones this weekend!”
When someone 'spills the tea' they are telling you all the latest news or gossip.
Use it: “Please spill the tea about last week's party!"
