Authenticity: keeping it real

Friday 24th September 2021

The final in our September series of free Friday webinars helping candidates get ready for their higher-level TESOL courses.

In number 4 in our 'Get Dip-Ready' open events we'll be looking at authenticity in the language classroom.

Teachers, learners, materials writers and assessment boards often strive for authenticity in language use. Definition of the concept is not trouble-free, but balanced against the alternatives – contrived, artificial language input and use, most practitioners would ally themselves easily with the concept of authenticity. The focus of this workshop will be on two key areas:

  • Authenticity of text

In an era of globalised English(es), what written and spoken texts are suitable for our learners? How can simplification and elaboration of texts be employed to scaffold their understanding? When conducting needs analyses, how can we use future self images to select appropriate texts for our classes?

  • Authenticity of task

Whether it be in terms of assessment or classroom activity, the real-world nature of tasks should be emphasized in our practice. Do coursebook tasks and activities match up to the real needs of our learners? Do examinations assess what we truly do with texts in the real world? How can we design tasks to accompany the written and spoken texts we bring to the classroom so that they reflect what we really do with those texts outside the classroom?

We’ll attempt to answer many of these questions in the seminar, as well as how the issue relates to Dip TESOL or Delta assessments.

Friday 24th September 2021

10:00 & 16:00 (Dublin/London/Lisbon - UTC+1)

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Slot 1

Slot 2

This session was recorded - catch up in your own time:

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Going Off-script: Developing Listening Skills with authentic material

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Reactivity: Techniques and Ideas for your DipTESOL or Delta