Module teaching and integrating language skills lesson 1

Activity 1 What is an authentic text and why use it in ELT?
Objective: to raise students’ awareness of authentic texts and the advantages of using them in English language teaching
Time: 30 min
Materials: 20 samples of authentic texts (newspapers, novels, postcards, flyers, letters written in English), boardmarkers
►Procedure:
(10 min) Ask participants the following question:
~ What do people usually read in real life?
Collect answers on the board.
Possible answers: newspapers/magazines; novels/stories; articles; letters; advertisements; timetables; students’ essays; reports; instructions.
Ask participants the following questions:
~ What do we call texts which are taken from real sources and which have not been specially created for teaching purposes?(Answer: Authentic texts)
~ Do you usually use authentic texts in your classroom?

• 
  (2 min)Establish that any materials in English which are not specifically designed for the classroom can be called authentic materials. Emphasize that texts can be written by both native speakers and non-native speakers of English. Explain that authentic material can be both written texts (such as newspapers, postcards, menus, flyers) and oral texts (such as radio or TV programmes or films). Tell them that this session is focused on written texts.