Module teaching and integrating language skills lesson 1

Important factors to consider when selecting authentic materials

Berado (2006: 63) identifies some factors that should be considered when sourcing and selecting authentic materials for use in the language classroom:

1. 
   Suitability of content
   Will the material be of interest to the learners?
   Is it relevant to the learners’ needs?
   Does it represent material the learners will come across outside of the classroom?
   
2. 
   Exploitability
   Can the material be exploited for teaching purposes? 
   For what purpose should the material be exploited? 
   What skills or strategies can be developed by exploiting the material?
   
3. 
   Suitability of Language
   Is the material too easy/difficult for the learners? 
   Is it structurally too demanding/complex? 
   How much new vocabulary/grammar does it contain? Is it relevant?
   
4. 
   Presentation 
   Does it look authentic? 
   Is it visually appealing? 
   Will it grab the learners’ attention?