Authenticity in the classroom.

Who doesn’t want authenticity in their class?

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?  

• Authenticity of task

Whether it be in terms of assessment or classroom activity, the real-world nature of tasks should be emphasised 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 language in the real world?

We will explore these issues in the contexts of general English, exam preparation, online learning and materials development.