Text and Task Authenticity in the EFL Classroom
by William Guariento and John Morely
“Authentic” activities is a definite buzz word in the field of education and the area of EFL is not any different. The authors present a case for using authentic materials in the language classroom that will benefit the language learning process.
As I was reading this article, my husband asked what I was reading. I told him it was about using authentic materials and activities in teaching. He asked me what is meant by “authentic”. I responded with, “Well, um, you know, um. . .real”. Realizing that this explanation didn't really cut it, I looked back to see what the authors said: “An authentic text is one 'created to fulfill some social purpose in the language community in which it was produced.” The purpose of using these authentic tasks is to “bridge the gap” between things normally learned in the language classroom and the student's ability to partake in the language in the “real world”.
In my teaching, I have noticed that it is easier to bring authentic material in to an intermediate or advanced class. The difficulty is using these texts in beginner classes. If it is authentic, often the language is just too advanced. Guariento and Morley say that it is justifiable to simplify the text , but that it is difficult to do it “seamlessly”. They also state that it is not necessary for total understanding of the text to occur; instead the students must learn to use what they gained from partial comprehension.
The authors posit that not only should the text be authentic but so must the task. They go on to outline four school of thought regarding authentic task, that authenticity come from: 1) a “genuine purpose”, 2) “real world targets”, 3) “classroom interaction” and 4) “engagement”. I think the case is strongest for the first two. When students understand the purpose and can see that this skill is both practical and necessary, learning somehow becomes easier. When learning new languages, from my own experience, I have seen that I learn most easily those things that I will need to use, and use soon. Activities and text used in the EFL classroom need to show that they are meaningful, not just for the classroom's sake , but for use on the street, in the target language.
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4 comments:
While I certainly can't argue against the author's definition of authentic tasks, a different scenario comes to mind when I think of the definition.
I think of the tapes I listened to as part of my French classes. The contrived, boring dailogues were so painful that I actively dreaded the time I was supposed to devote to the task.
Sorry for the late posting. There is a huge typhoon raging outside my door and the Internet service hasn't been patchy.
I am just wondering now whether the definition you and I both cited is so vague as be rendered nearly useless.
"... fulfill some social purpose"
What purpose and how can it's relevance to its target audience be measured? Why should there be any gap between what's normally learned in the language classroom and the student's ability to partake in the language in the "real world"? The materials of the real world should be used in the classroom, after of course taking into account grade level and students' interests.
Jill,
Thanks for explaining the definition of an authentic task, however, I agree with your first definition to your husband, ‘real’. After all isn’t that what it is all about in a nutshell. Creating the most ‘realistic’ environment for students to learn…
~ Rea
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