Coursebooks and Materials - Authentic and Created Materials
Just to finish the sectional materials, we'll have a look the difference between what are called authentic and created materials. Authentic materials, as the name implies, are actual materials that are created for any reason outside of the classroom. So examples of authentic materials would be things like newspapers. Those are generated for the general public and they're certainly not generated for the use in the classroom. However, they can be used within the classroom other ideas would be things like songs and poems and even things such as brochures and magazines and indeed menus from restaurants. So these are materials that all can be used within the classroom but they have not been created for that purpose, whereas creative materials, as the name implies, have been produced purely and simply to be used in the classroom. Examples of these would be flashcards, crosswords that have been created within the teaching material that we've got and at a lower level than crosswords we have things like word search and we could also include things such as picture stories, roleplay cards and games. In terms of the materials that you use in the classroom, what we should try to do is to create a good balance of authentic versus creative materials. Authentic materials have certain advantages in that because they are real, the students tend to give them a little bit more value than those that have been created. So try to have a balance of authentic and creative materials within your activities.
Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next.
It can be generally said that all the receptive and productive skills are equally important but the spoken part will carry more importance because it is what carries all the other skill.
To be able to produce (speak or write) good language it is important to know why people will talk or writ.
people will produce language because they either have something to talk about, they have a reason to communicate, want to hear something (ask a question) or to contribute to what is being sai.
It is on this premise that the teacher should build in order to properly engage the students in either dialogues,creative writing,dabates and what ever the task it may b.
Accuracy and fluency in a language are some of the most profound measuring tools of an idividual's knowledge of a languag.
These two are equally important but differ in application and teachin.
While accuracy is a study phase activity aimed at correctness and being controlled via drilling and repetitions, fluency is an activate phase activity with its main aim as to how well the idea has been effectively understoon and use.
It is true that because of some reasons like fear of mistakes, lack of confidence and even culture students may not want to produce the knowledge they have recieve.
This leaves many teachers worried as to what to do since this is the only assurance a teacher may have as to whether the student understood what was taugh.
Here are some of the ways this unit has offered to help students speak or write;creating a comfortable environment for talkin.
In a lesson where the task is My family, words like love, best, strong can be introduced to motivate students express their feelings there by talking about their familie.
I love my mumm.
My daddy is stron.
Also,as I have learned from this unit, writing deserves as much time(why not more) as any other language skil.
This is because writing requires the student to spell accurately, punctuate correctly,and use the correct structure(e.
formal and informal letters) and handwritin.
With this task in mind the teacher needs to give it the time it deserves to have a balance studen.