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УДК 372.881.111.1 А. Н. Попова
ст. преподаватель кафедры лингвистики и межкультурной коммуникации факультета заочного обучения МГЛУ; аспирант Ноттингемского университета (Великобритания); e-mail: [email protected]
ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ АУТЕНТИЧНЫХ МАТЕРИАЛОВ ПРИ ОБУЧЕНИИ СТУДЕНТОВ ЛИНГВИСТИЧЕСКИХ СПЕЦИАЛЬНОСТЕЙ
В статье рассматриваются вопросы аутентичности в методике обучения английскому языку студентов лингвистических специальностей, а также дается подробный обзор зарубежной научно-исследовательской литературы по данной теме.
Ключевые слова: аутентичность; аутентичность текста; аутентичность задания; аутентичные материалы; аутентичные художественные тексты.
Popova A. N.
Senior Lecturer of The Department of Linguistics and Intercultural Communication, Correspondence Faculty, MSLU; Postgraduate student, The University of Nottingham (UK); e-mail: [email protected]
USING AUTHENTIC MATERIALS IN THE CONTEXT OF A LINGUISTIC UNIVERSITY
The article examines current literature and research on the advantages and disadvantages of authentic material use, as well as suggests ways to effectively use authentic literary texts in the EFL university classroom.
Key words: authenticity; text authenticity; task authenticity; authentic materials; authentic literary texts.
1. INTRODUCTION
Authentic materials are generally defined as "not originally developed for pedagogical purposes" [37, p. 42-43]. Guariento and Morley [15, p. 347] claim that there is "a general consensus in language teaching that the use of authentic materials in the classroom is beneficial to the learning process" as they provide students with "bridges to the real world of the target language community" and "create a language-rich environment in the classroom" [24, p. 3]. Yet despite the widespread acceptance of the use of authentic materials, it seems that not everyone
is convinced. Day [10, p. 10] talks about "the cult of authenticity" arguing that "the term is out of date and no longer useful".
This article aims to explore ways to effectively use authentic materials in the EFL university classroom in order to enhance the learning experience.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
According to Longman dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistics, authenticity is "the degree to which language teaching materials have the qualities of natural speech or writing" [37, p. 42-3]. However, if we dig deeper into the literature, it becomes apparent that it is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. In fact, there is still no consensus as to what authenticity means. As Gilmore [12, p. 98] points out, the term "remains ambiguous in most teachers' minds." In his State-of-the-art article, he identifies as many as eight definitions which overlap and contradict each other. Pinner [35] suggests that authenticity should be represented as a continuum. For the sake of clarity here, the focus will be on two major aspects, namely text and task authenticity.
2.1. Text authenticity
There's been a great deal of debate in language teaching about what makes a text authentic. For Morrow [30, p. 13], it is "a stretch of real language, produced by a real speaker or writer for a real audience and designed to convey a real message of some sort." While Harmer [16, p. 146] argues that authentic texts are "real texts designed not for language students, but for the speakers of the language in question". Morrow's definition seems rather vague as it's not quite clear what he means by "real speakers". In the spirit of CLT, Little et al. [20, p. 27] define an authentic text as one "created to fulfill some social purpose in the language community for which it was produced". Such texts, by their very nature, reflect real-life situations and demands and provide a link between the classroom and the real world. According to Tomlinson [42, p. VIII], it is a text "which is not written or spoken for language teaching purposes". Similarly, Thornbury [40, p. 21] emphasizes that "a text is authentic if it was originally written for non-classroom audience". In their definition of text authenticity, Badger and MacDonald [3, p. 581] stress that it depends on "the similarity between the way it is used in
the classroom and the way it was used in its original communicative context."
But if an authentic text is "by definition a unique thing" [30, p. 14] and "can only be truly authentic [...] in the context for which it was originally written" [17, p. 15] it might imply that by bringing it into the classroom for pedagogic purposes we destroy its authenticity. In my view, that is not necessarily a bad thing, if it is done with a clear pedagogic aim in mind; there is no sense in trying to preserve the authenticity if it doesn't address the students' needs. As Clarke [7] rightly observes, there seems to be a belief that just by exposing students to authentic materials, we can enhance the quality of the learning experience. This is not an entirely unfounded belief, as exposure is critical to language acquisition but it is not the whole story.
Widdowson [44] was among the first to shift the focus from text to what we do with it by proposing a distinction between "genuineness" and "authenticity".
The former is a characteristic of the text; the latter has to do with the interaction between the reader and the text. It suggests that a text originally created for teaching purposes can be authentic provided it is exploited in an appropriate way and vice versa. Indeed, "authenticity is not brought into the classroom with the materials or the lesson plan" [43, p. 15] and "use of authentic materials does not imply that the tasks will be authentic" [2, p. 238].Which brings us to the question, what makes tasks authentic?
2.3. Task authenticity
One important characteristic oftask authenticity that seems to emerge from various definitions in the literature is the relationship between the task and the original purpose of the text. According to Grellet [14, p. 9], tasks "must correspond as often as possible to what one is expected to do with the text". Similarly, McGrath [27, p. 10] stresses that tasks should be in line with "the writer's intention". Geddes [9, p. 81] argues that "we should not ask a student to listen without identifying - or helping him identify - a purpose that relates to the communicative value of the text". In addition, Clarke [7, p. 75] emphasizes that teaching materials "should reflect the authentic communicative purpose of the text". He criticizes using authentic input as an opportunity for "linguistic exploitation".
However, I would argue that in the context of a linguistic university, for example, this is very much an authentic task.
Guariento and Morley [15, p. 349-50] identify four broad schools of thought regarding task authenticity:
1) "Authenticity through a genuine purpose" is connected with Willis [45] and his concept of task. It is argued that for a task to be authentic real communication should take place. Language should be used for a genuine purpose.
2) "Authenticity through real-world targets". Long and Crookes [22] argue that pedagogic tasks must be "complex approximations" of real world tasks (e. g. taking lecture notes; buying a ticket). Based on this approach, a task might be described as authentic if it corresponds to real world needs.
3) "Authenticity through classroom interaction". Breen [5] suggests that one of the most authentic tasks within a language classroom is "communication about how best to communicate" (e. g. students working in pair or groups discussing homework tasks; teachers and students. In other words, classroom has its own authenticity).
4) "Authenticity through engagement". If a learner is not engaged by the task, it loses its authenticity. However, we are all different, what engages one student may seem dull to another. In this respect, authenticity is probably best described as a matter of degree. In my experience, students understand the nature of classrooms and are prepared to suspend their disbelief, provided they understand the idea behind the task.
Lee [19] argues that if we want tasks to be accessible to learners, they should be "learner authentic". He makes some valuable recommendations for designing such tasks. One recommendation that seems relevant to any context is an integrated skills approach because in real life we normally use more than one language skill to achieve a communicative purpose. Another important point to consider is task validity. The content and nature of the task should correspond to the ability that we want students to develop. Overall, several important features of authentic tasks can be identified:
• Some real-world relevance
• Having a genuine communicative purpose
• Sensitivity to learners' needs and interests.
While acknowledging the benefits of authentic tasks, we shouldn't deny the value of pedagogic tasks. Badger and MacDonald [3] are concerned that some teachers get carried away with trying to make what happens in the classroom as authentic as possible and do not spend enough time developing their students' skills. Pedagogic tasks are essential in language learning. Their purpose is not to replicate real world tasks but to develop "skills which would be useful in a real world" [42, p. XV].
2.4. Advantages and disadvantages of authentic materials
There is a lot to be said for using authentic materials. Peacock [34] looked at the impact of authentic versus artificial materials on student motivation. The results of his empirical research indicated that motivation and on-task behavior increased significantly when learners used authentic materials. According to Nuttall [31, p. 172], authentic texts "can be motivating because they are proof that the language is used for real-life purposes by real people." What is a more, authentic material "can play a key role in enhancing positive attitudes to learning" [24, p. 3] as they are much more likely than course books to match the needs and interests of individual students. At the same time, Hyland [18] warns that authentic texts may not always be good models. They may well be poorly written or just boring. Care should be taken to select materials and design tasks that fit the students' level of proficiency, otherwise the students left to struggle with incomprehensible input are likely to get demotivated. Moreover, as Nunan [32, p. 176] points out, "many low-level learners are traumatized when first exposed to authentic samples of language".
By exposing students to naturally occurring language, authentic materials provide a great source of formulaic language which permits a speaker to achieve a "native-like fluency" [39, 26]. Pedagogical materials do not always reflect how the language is really used. For example McCarthy & Carter [23, p. 109] points out that textbooks rarely deal with idioms in a systematic way. A recent empirical study by Clavel-Arroitia and Fuster-Márquez [9, p. 133] has shown that recently published textbooks, even at higher levels, are not as authentic as some researchers argue they should be. Longer texts are reduced, complex language is simplified and texts belonging to other variety than BrE are modified to make them look more British. Wray [46] talks about the lack
of natural language models in the classroom. In this respect, authentic materials can expose students to useful models of casual conversation which tend to be unrepresented in language teaching materials [12, p. 102]. However, this kind of input might be too challenging for lower-level students so it might require special adaptation in task design to make it usable.
One of the key benefits of authentic materials is that they can help foster learner autonomy. As McGarry [24, p. 3] puts it, they "create the language-rich environment within which the autonomous language learner-user can flourish". From my experience, they are ideal tools for independent learning, particularly at higher levels. However, it is important to train students to select and explore authentic materials for them. By doing so, we can teach our students to teach themselves. It is important to mention that this view is supported by psychological and psycholinguistic research [21, p. 5].
Another important aspect to consider is communicative competence. In his 10-months quasi-experimental study at a Japanese university, Gilmore [13] set out to explore the potential of authentic materials to develop Japanese learners' communicative competence in English. The results showed that the authentic materials were more effective in developing communicative competence in learners than the textbook materials as the experimental group outperformed the control group in five of the eight measures. Gilmore [13, p. 810] put it down to the fact that the authentic materials "provided richer input for learners to work with in the classroom" and "allowed them to notice and then acquire a wider variety of linguistic, pragmatic, strategic, and discourse features". In addition, careful task design and follow-up practice activities helped to draw the learners' attention to useful features of the input. One of the key criticisms launched against using authentic texts is that they often contain numerous cultural and historical references [28] which may render them difficult and inaccessible for the learner. It is interesting to note that, in the context of a linguistic university, this is seen more as a help than a hindrance. It is a learning opportunity.
3. DISCUSSION
This section will look at authentic literary texts, their advantages and disadvantages, as well as suggest various sequences of tasks, which can be used to exploit literary texts with English majors. The focus will be on 4th year advanced-level students.
Within the context of a linguistic university, the goal is to create both linguists and language users. In this respect, authentic material seems to have a great potential. However, simply exposing students to it is not enough. "Students need to be trained to extract appropriate information from the material" [41, p. 8]. In other words, in order to be able to engage with novels, newspaper articles, podcasts, videos etc. in an authentic and meaningful way and get the most out of this experience, a degree of support and scaffolding in the form of pedagogical tasks is needed. These tasks prepare learners for more authentic ones by providing the necessary language focus and developing learning skills and strategies (e. g. App.1, Tasks 1-2). For teaching literature and other authentic texts, I use a combination of the three models proposed by Carter and Long [5, p. 2-3]: the language model, the cultural model and the personal growth model.
Firstly, literary texts can provide students with lexically rich input. They contain not only numerous examples of low frequency lexis but also formulaic language which lies "at the heart of advanced level lexical knowledge" [33, p. 53]. By their fourth year of studies students typically have achieved a high level of fluency and accuracy. However, their English often sounds unnatural. That is probably due to the fact that their productive knowledge of useful formulaic sequences or chunks is often rather modest. Through intense, focused reading of a wide variety of literary texts in English, students can build up an extensive repertoire of lexical chunks. Literary dialogue in the works of contemporary authors can be extremely useful in illustrating colloquial functions of linguistic forms [29]. However, the majority of the prescribed texts are the late 19th or 20th century classics. Asking students to read modern authors for their "individual reading project" seems a useful way of redressing this imbalance.
As the sample materials in Appendix 1 illustrate, each unit opens with a vocabulary task which provides the necessary lexical focus and encourages students to do some linguistic research. The chunks are preselected as learners should first be alerted to lexical phrases encountered in authentic contexts and then assisted in developing strategies for recognition and recording of chunks [4]. Further tasks give students plenty of opportunities to experiment with the active chunks.
Secondly, authentic literary texts provide excellent material for close reading. Stylistics is central to the understanding of literary texts; it is one of the most important aspects of the training of translators. Part of our analysis of literary texts involves discussing how authors achieve their effects, what language means they employ to get their "message" across, simply put, what makes literature work. As Appendix 1 (Tasks V-VI) illustrates, each unit contains sections for close reading and translation. These tasks can be described as authentic because translation is both reading and interpreting. The purpose of such tasks is 'to promote linguistically aware readers who can perceive the qualities of language which are manipulated for particular effects' [8, p. 342]. Unlike authentic texts, graded texts simply do not stand up to close reading.
Thirdly, authentic texts are treated as a source of information about the target culture. Sell [38, p. 91] argues that "teaching literature provides learners with a truly cultural competence". This cultural fluency is particularly important for would-be translators and interpreters. Students are encouraged to research various cultural and historical topics and do a lot of background reading using authentic sources. (App. 1, task VII; App. 2) Reading The Man of Property by J. Galsworthy, for example, they could get a better insight into Victorian period and learn more about upper middle class life in the late 19th century. Without this understanding, it is difficult to connect with the characters. This brings us to another important aspect of reading - engagement.
Psychological and psycholinguistic research suggests that if students are engaged with the text and empathize with the characters, it has a positive impact on the language learning process [21, p. 5-6]. One important conclusion is that the choice of texts should be based on students' interests and needs. McKay [25] stresses that appropriacy is particularly important when dealing with literary texts.
Finally, literary texts provide opportunities for meaningful interaction in a learner-centered classroom (e. g. App 1, tasks III, IV). When discussing literature, to promote an aesthetic interaction between the reader and the text, students should be encouraged to draw on their own opinions, feelings and personal experiences [23]. To enable students to connect the text to real world situations and contexts it might be a good idea to supplement their reading by podcasts, newspaper articles and videos on the same topic.
4. CONCLUSION
Clearly, authentic materials have their strengths and weaknesses, but in the context of a linguistic university the strengths seem to outweigh the weaknesses. One of the most important arguments for using authentic materials is that they help students to become more independent. They can give the learners "a taste of the real world, an opportunity to rehearse in a sheltered environment, hence the less authentic materials we use, the less well-prepared learners will be for that real world" [27, p. 105]. My experience of using authentic materials, both as a learner and as a teacher, has been very positive. What is more, authentic materials encourage a more creative approach to teaching and help teachers grow professionally [6, p. 20]. One potential issue here is the considerable amount of time teachers should be prepared to spend if they choose to develop learning resources around authentic materials. On the plus side, authentic materials are versatile. The same text or audio can be used in a variety of different ways.
Appendix 1
The Man of Property by J. Galsworthy [47].
Unit 3
Read part I, chapters 5-6.
I Reproduce the situations in which the following word combinations
occur. Use them when discussing the chapters. Go to http://fraze.it/ for
more examples.
to close in to see much (little) of smb
in defiance of smth to break the ice
(not) to be made for smb to put one's oar in smth
to come into fashion blood is thicker than water
to have smb in tow to make a point of smth
to have a free hand to serve smb right
to flare up to hold on
to come round to be hard on smb
to make it up with smth a lame excuse
to be sulky to know one's own mind
to worm smth out of smb not to sleep a wink
to follow smb about to smooth smth over
to pour out to stick together
to come back to smb at one's /smb's time of life
II Paraphrase or explain the following:
• "Skin-like immaculateness had grown over Soames, as over many
Londoners."
• "In this conflict throughout the house the woman had gone to the
wall."
• "In this house of his there was writing on every wall."
III Comment on:
1. «His nervousness about this disclosure irritated him profoundly; she had no business to make him feel like that—a wife and a husband being one person».
2. «Out of his other property, out of all the things he had collected, his silver, his pictures, his houses, his investments, he got a secret and intimate feeling; out of her he got none».
3. «Was it for this that he was going to spend some ten thousand pounds? Bosinney's phrase came back to him: «Women are the devil!»»
4. «But about this silent creature sitting there so motionless, in the dark, there seemed a warmth, a hidden fervour of feeling, as if the whole of her being had been stirred, and some change were taking place in its very depths».
5. «...of all the brothers he was least remarkable in mind and person, and for that reason more likely to live forever».
6. «Beneath the adamant of his self-preserving instinct there was much real softness in James».
7. «And, as he looked at her, an odd feeling crept over him, as though he had come across something strange and foreign».
8. «All I can say is, these artistic people, or whatever they call themselves, they're as unreliable as they can be; and my advice to you is, don't you have too much to do with him!»
IV Discussion
1. What kind of house did Soames inhabit? How did it reflect his personality?
2. How did literature colour Soames' view of life?
3. Soames and Irene - husband and wife.
4. "If anyone had asked him if he wanted to own her soul, the question would have seemed to him both ridiculous and sentimental. But he did so want, and the writing said he never would." Explain.
5. How did Irene treat her husband? Why?
6. In what way did June's attitude towards Irene change?
Вестник МГЛУ. Выпуск 27 (738) /2015
7. What sort of person was James? Give his character sketch.
8. James and Soames: father and son.
V Give your interpretation of the following:
• "To James, more than to any of the others, was «the family» significant
and dear...anything might come of it!" (ch 6 ).
VI Translate:
• "Could a man own anything prettier than... and the writing said
he never would" (ch 5).
VII Culture Corner
• William Morris
• Albert Gate
• Richmond
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