USING AUTHENTIC MATERIAL IN MIXED ABILITY CLASSES

Shawn Redwood

In this session …

• authentic material in the classroom
• scaffolding authentic material
• making great classroom material
• effective teaching strategies
• differentiation techniques in the classroom
• how to create activities using authentic material

Authentic material

Authentic material is not created for students learning English. Its target audience is native speakers.

Examples:

• TV shows
• Songs
• Photographs
• Magazines
• Menus
• Advertisements
• Art

Graded material

Graded material almost always revolves around a particular structure that is presented to the student learning English.

Authentic Material

ADVANTAGES

• realistic
• entertaining
• up-to-date
• original
• inexpensive
• hear the language within a visible context (v)
• motivates students

DISADVANTAGES

• mainly for higher levels
• no prepared workbook / exercises

Authentic Material - Examples

Take a look at the menu on the right.

• What words do you think students would not know? Choose 5. How could you help students to understand these words?
• Which sandwich would you order and why?

School Lunches USA

Which school lunch best represents the healthy eating plate? Why did you choose that one?

Authentic Material - Examples

Authentic Material - Examples

Authentic Material - Examples

SOURCE: Richmond Times-Dispatch Newspaper

Tips

Using Authenic Video and Audio

• introduction
• student’s attention
• let the video and audio do the work
• pausing
• be sensitive and realistic
• vocabulary and task
• worksheets
• integral part of the class

• picture with sound
• picture without sound
• interrupted
• uninterrupted
• freeze frame
• with subtitles
• without subtitles

Authentic Material

Creating activities

• progression
• exploit the image
• liveliness
• build vocabulary and structures
• encourage students to become active
• establish key vocabulary

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What is scaffolding?

Scaffolding Authentic Material

This describes specialized teaching strategies geared to support learning when students are first introduced to a new subject. Scaffolding gives students a context, motivation, or foundation from which to understand the new information that will be introduced during the coming lesson.

SOURCE: K6educators

Prior Knowledge

Instructional Strategies

• activate prior knowledge
• offer a motivational context to pique student curiosity
• use graphic organizers to offer a visual support
• teach key vocabulary terms before reading
• ask questions while reading
• ask students to contribute their own experiences
• facilitate student engagement and participation
• guide students in making predictions about the material

Look at the picture above. Answer the questions below.

• How is climate change affecting the environment?
• What can we do to stop climate change?

SOURCE: K6educators

Graphic Organizers

Motivational Context

Graphic Organizers

Graphic Organizers

Ask Questions

Key Vocabulary

1. What do some experts believe?
2. What have scientists discovered?
3. How much does the Milky Way weigh?

Engagement and Participation

Contribute experiences

How are the words you found in the word search related to supervolcanoes?

We know that the chocolate pods are used to make chocolate. What are some recipes that we make that use chocolate?

Telling a story

Synopsis

A pictorial journey of a small figure travelling through the traditional countryside, farms, and towns of northern Europe. He takes readers past familiar storybook characters, visual jokes and puzzles, tricks of perspective, and other surprises.

THANK YOU