These are the handouts from the Teacher Training Workshop on using and adapting authentic materials to help motivate students

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Using & Adapting Authentic Materials to
Help Motivate Students
Dr Richard Pinner – rpinner@sophia.ac.jp www.uniliterate.com
Course description:
This courseoffers an insightinto how best to select
and adaptauthentic materials to use with students
as a way of exposing them to other cultures and
ways of thinking. It has been shown that authentic
materials are more motivating for students
(Peacock, 1997) and thus the class will feature
practical demonstrations of ways in which
authentic materials can be used to help motivate
students. In the class, participants will look at,
observe and demonstrate tasks which utilise
authentic materials and participants will also have
the chance to a adapt materials and design their
own tasks in a
hands-on
workshop.
Defining Authenticity: The Debate
Authenticity comes from the Greek word authenteo which meant ‘to have full power’. The word is made of
two parts;auto- means ‘self’ and hentes refers to the doer or being, and thus has etymological roots with
autonomy (self and nomos as in law,self-governing).
Alex Gilmore (2007) identifieseight‘inter-related’meanings fromthe literature:
1. “the language produced by native speakers for native speakers in a particular language
community
2. the language produced by a real speaker/writer for a real audience, conveying a real message
3. the qualities bestowed on a text by the receiver, in that it is not seen as something already in a
text itself, but is how the reader/listener perceives it)
4. the interaction betweenstudents and teachersand is a ‘personal process of engagement’
5. the types of task chosen
6. the social situation of the classroom
7. the relevance something has to assessment
8. culture, and the ability to behave or think like a target language group in order to be validated by
them”
Adapted fromGilmore (2007, p. 98)
Whichof these definitionsdoyou findthe most convincing? Can you see any problems?
In my own writings,I have further simplified this to Two Basic Strands
of the authenticity debate (Pinner,2016a).
What is the best way to link these two strands?
Authenticity is “the degree of congruence between one’s actions and one’s coreself-conceptions – consisting
of fundamental values, beliefs, and identities” (Vannini & Burgess, 2009,p. 104)
Native
Real
Self
Classroom
Task
Social
Assessment
Culture
existential
• interactions
practical
• materials

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The Authenticity Continuum
In order to incorporate the majority of the speakers of English
into the concept of authenticity whilst also allowing for such
important factors as motivation, autonomy and identity,
authenticity might best be considered not as a binary set of
absolutes, or even as a grey area with two extremes on either
side, but as a continuum with both social and contextual
dimensions. The horizontal axis represents the social
dimension of authenticity, at one end the learner or
individual and their needs, linguistic ability and motivation
to learn, at the other the target language use community.
This might bean L1 country such as theUSAorUK, orit might
be the international community where English is used as a
tool for communication in multilingual contexts, or it could
even be a workplace where English will be needed in order
to interact with colleagues. The vertical dimension of the
continuum is meant to represent the context of language
use. Thecontinuum presents thetwo contexts which arelikely
to be most relevant to language learning; the classroom and
the real world where the communication takes place (Pinner,
2016b).
Useful Definition of Authenticity for Teaching
In this training workshop we will use Tomlinson and Masuhara
(2010, p. 400) definition which states that authentic materials are
‘designed not to transmit declarative knowledge1 about the
target languagebut rather to providean experience of the
languagein use.’
Students need to authenticate (Widdowson, 1978) the materials,
which means undertaking “a personalprocess ofengagement”
(van Lier, 1996).
Adapting Materials
Here is anothersimple model foradapting/usingauthenticmaterials. Canyouaddany criteriato this
model?
1 宣言的知識
Comprehension Form Focused (vocabulary and grammar). This should be dealt with in as
interactive a way as possible – eg. Students could simply match up the numbers 1
-6 with a – e or they could check the words in a dictionary and teach them to
their partners. Consider scaffolding.
Engagement Once the main ideas of the materials areclear and students have been given
time to prepare and understand, have them interact in a personal (authentic)
way with the text/material. Eg. Asking opinions, debating, responding etc.
Materials need face validity
Reflection The students should be given a chance to reflect on the skills/language that they
have used and the purpose this has in their own learning. In other words,
Autonomy training. Students should know something about what and why they
were learning.
use domain
learningcontext
authentic
text /
materials
output /
production
tasks
language in
use

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Domains of Authenticity: Authentic Tasks
Put a number (1 – 3) next to each of these examples to decide which you think is the most
authentic task.
Example A: The teacher brings an English language newspaper to class and has
students read the text and underline every instance of the present perfect aspect or
passive tense, and then asks them to copy each sentence out into their notebooks.
Example B: The teacher uses an ‘inauthentic’ text from a published course book
which was contrived specifically to practise reported speech and then discusses other
ways in which the speakers from the text could have said the same thing in a
different way.
Example C: The teacher asks students to use the internet to research about their
favourite celebrity or hero and then create a short presentation in English to the rest
of the class about that person.
World Englishes and Authenticity
It isno longerpossible tosaythatsomethingisauthenticjustbecause
it comesfroman AmericanorBritishnewspaper,anditisalsono
longerpossibletosaysomethingisnotauthenticforthe same
reasons. AsDavidGraddol says, “The future status of Englishwill be
determinedlessbythe numberand economicpowerof its native
speakersthan by the trends in the use of Englishas a secondlanguage” (2003, p. 157)
 Do you agree with the idea of World Englishes?
 Could you utilise World Englishes in your classes?
How doyou thinkyourstudentswouldrespondto this?
The 3Cs of Authenticity
Frieda Mishan (2005) advocates
the consideration of 3 Cs –
Culture (target and home),
Currency (as in time) and
Challenge (level+1 or zone of
proximal development).
Kachru (1985)
Inner
circle
Outer
circle
Expanding
circle
Culture
Currency
Challenge
All Englishesare equal,but
some varietiesare more
equal thanothers
(Pinner,2016b, p. 69)

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Authenticity and Motivation
Social Authentication
“Authenticationisbasicallyapersonal process
of engagement,[…] itisreasonable tosuggestthata teacher’sauthenticitymaystimulate
authenticityinthe studentsaswell.”(vanLier,1996, p. 128)
Teacherswhoinvestpersonallyintheirteachingexpectasimilarpersonal
investmentfromtheirstudents.Whenthisisreciprocal,itcreatesSocial Authentication(congruent
validationinthe learningprocess) whichleadstopositivemotivational synergy.Inthisway
authenticitycaneitherbe aBRIDGE or a GAP betweenthe teacherandstudents’motivation.
(Pinner,2019)
Energy Return on Investment (ERI)
 Energyis fundamentallydefinedasthe abilitytodowork,and ERoI isvery
basicallythe paybackreceived
 In termsof teaching,I applyERoIto referto the amountof energyateacher
investsinthe class,andhowmuch energy(work) isreturnedbythe students.
The Language Impetus Triad
Due to the close conceptual linksbetweenautonomy,motivationandauthenticity,itmightactually
be simplertothinkof themas part of an interdependentsystem, akathe Language ImpetusTriad.
 Doesany of thisseemtrue to you fromyourown experiences?
 Do youagree withideaof EnergyReturnonInvestment?
 Have you everexperiencedsomethinglike this?
dynamic link
between
teacher and
student
motivation
authenticity
autonomyauthority
Authenticity Motivation
The relationship between studentand
teachermotivation can be “either
positively or negatively synergistic”
(Deci,Kasser,&Ryan, 1997, p. 68)

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Dealing with Difficulty
 Authentic materials are more motivating – why? Perhaps because of culture and
relevance to the class. Perhaps because they are more engaging and feel ‘real’.
 Authentic materials are more difficult – why? Because the language in the texts has
not been modified for our learners. These texts are not intended for learners. So, are
they only suitable for advanced students? No, we can either adapt them or prepare
our learners for them.
 How can we overcome the difficulty problem? Teach our learners coping strategies,
such as the ‘panacea method’.
Context is the key to meaning. Remove the difficult words. Treat them like a
jigsaw puzzle. Ignore any words you cannot understand. Only focus on what
words you understand. Try other words to see if the sentence makes sense.
When you find a piece that fits, move on.
Other strategies
 Provide a vocabulary glossary
 Provide a straight translation
 Give the students plenty of time but engage them in the process of unlocking
meaning. Make them work to understand the text as this will help them learn new
words better.
Selecting Materials
Choosing appropriate materials – what factors should you consider?
 Age of your learners
 Language ability of learners vs. difficulty of text (use Flesch-Kinkaid to evaluate)
 Engagement / relevance of materials to the learners (and teacher)
 Sensitive issues which may be inappropriate
Questions to help you select materials
 Do I (the teacher) find this content stimulating?
 Will my learners find this interesting?
 Is it suitable for my learners (difficulty, age)?
 How does it fit in with the other work we are doing in class?
 Will this be useful to them? (assessment, future goal

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Task: Adapting Authentic Texts
Thisevaluationcriteriamighthelpyoutostructure how you adaptthese authenticmaterials.
Nowplease choose aspokespersonfromyourgroupand askthemto explain the lessonplanyou
designed.
Form small groups
You will be given an authentictext to use
Discuss the merits of this text in groups
Plan a lesson which you thinkwould be suitable forthis text
Try to create some comprehension questions, discussion points and
communicativetasks
Explain your lesson plan to the class
Evaluation
• Age of your learners
• Language ability vs. difficulty of
text
• Engagement/ relevance
• Sensitive issues / appropriateness
Adaptation
• Comprehension
• Engagement
• Reflection

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Multimedia Resources andAuthenticity
Because of InformationCommunicationTechnology,there isanalmostunlimitedsource of
authenticmaterialsavailableatourfingertips.Studentscangainaccessto samplesof the target
language inseconds,butnotall the contentis suitable orevengoodquality.The keyistoknow how
to findwhatyouneedforyour classand to helpstudentstoassessthe qualityof the
sourcestheyfind.
Virtual Learning Environments
Doesyour school have a VLE? Moodle isfree andeasyto set-upandcan provide agreat
online resource forstudentsandteacherstointeract.
Online Cultural Exchanges
Althougheasytosetup these are perhapsthe mostauthentictype of online
material because theyare generatedbyreal interactionswithreal people.
Contact a school inanothercountryusingan online forumandsetup a place
online where studentscanchatand share messages.Facebookisagoodway
to do this,or else create yourownblogusingWordPressorsome other
online site.Youcanfindvirtual exchange partnersbypostingamessage on
an online mailinglistsuchasthe IATEFL LearningTechnologiesSpecial
InterestGroup2
or CALICOmailinglist3
.
R.A.F.T.
These are Remote AccessFieldTrips.If youhave anytwinschoolsinothercitiesorcountries,orhave
colleaguesinotherinstitutionsaroundthe world,theycanall mingle andcollaborateonline.A RAFT
mightinvolve aweek-longprojectof makingvideosandpostingthemonanonline forumorblog,
thenrespondingtocommentsaboutwhere togonextforexample.Youcouldcreate a very
advancedandengagingsequence of lessonswhereclassescollaborate withstudentsacrossthe
world.(Pinner,2011)4
©opyright issues!
 Educational institutionshave special permissionsregardingcopyrightissues.
 InformationinEnglishandJapanese isavailableat http://www.cric.or.jp/
 If you are notsure,include the source andyoushould be fine!
 Displayingfilmsandplayingmusicare okbecause youare not re-
sellingorchargingmoneylike acinemaorconcert.
To add referencestoeachpage easily,paste the source reference inthe
footerof the document.
2 http://ltsig.org.uk/
3 https://calico.org/
4 This was taken from an articleI wrote for English Teaching Professional magazine
http://sophia.academia.edu/RichardPinner

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References
Deci,E. L., Kasser,T.,& Ryan,R. M. (1997).
Self-determinedteaching:
Opportunitiesandobstacles.InJ.L.
Bess(Ed.), Teaching well and liking it:
Motivating facultyto teach effectively
(pp.57-71). Baltimore:JohnsHopkins
UniversityPress.
Gilmore,A.(2007). Authenticmaterialsand
authenticityinforeignlanguage
learning. LanguageTeaching,40(02),
97-118.
doi:10.1017/S0261444807004144
Graddol,D. (2003). The decline of the native
speaker.InG. Anderman&M. Rogers
(Eds.), Translation today:trendsand
perspectives (pp. 152-167). Clevedon:
Multilingual Matters.
Kachru,B. B. (1985). Standards,codification
and sociolinguisticrealism:the English
language inthe outercircle.InR.
Quirk,H. G. Widdowson,&Y. Cantù
(Eds.), English in the World: Teaching
and Learning the Languageand
Literatures (pp.11-30). Cambridge:
Cambridge UniversityPress.
Mishan,F. (2005). Designing authenticity into
languagelearning materials.Bristol:
IntellectBooks.
Peacock,M. (1997). The effectof authentic
materialsonthe motivationof EFL
learners. ELT Journal,51(2),144-156.
doi:10.1093/elt/51.2.144
Pinner,R.S. (2011). Making the mostof
moodle. English teaching
professional(73),64-66.
Pinner,R.S. (2016a). The nature of
authenticityinEnglishasaforeign
language:a comparisonof eightinter-
relateddefinitions. ELTWOJournal,
9(1), 78-93.
Pinner,R.S. (2016b). Reconceptualising
Authenticity forEnglish asa Global
Language.Bristol:Multilingual
Matters.
Pinner,R.S. (2019). Social Authentication and
Teacher-StudentMotivational
Synergy:A narrativeof language
teaching.London:Routledge.
Tomlinson,B.,&Masuhara, H. (2010).
Applicationsof the researchresults
for secondlanguage acquisition
theoryand research.InB. Tomlinson
& H. Masuhara (Eds.), Research for
materialsdevelopmentin language
learning : evidenceforbest practice
(pp.399-409). London:Continuum.
van Lier,L. (1996). Interaction in the language
curriculum:Awareness,autonomy and
authenticity.London:Longman.
Vannini,P.,&Burgess,S.(2009). Authenticity
as motivationandaesthetic
experience.InP.Vannini &J.P.
Williams(Eds.), Authenticity in
culture,self, and society (pp.103-
120). Surrey:Ashgate Publishing.
Widdowson,H.G. (1978). Teaching language
as communication.Oxford:Oxford
UniversityPress.
Further Reading
Jenkins, (2006) ‘Current Perspectives onTeaching World
Englishes and English as a Lingua Franca’ TESOL Quarterly
40(1) (pp. 157 –181)
Richards, J.C. (2001). Curriculumdevelopmentin language
teaching.Cambridge: CambridgeUniversity Press
Seargeant,P (2009) The IdeaofEnglishin Japan:Ideology and
the Evolution ofa GlobalLanguage. Bristol: Multilingual
Matters
Sharma, P.and Barrett, B. (2007) Blended Learning: using
technology inand beyondthe language classroom.London:
MacMillan Education
Watanabe, Yoshinori., Ikeda,Makoto., & Izumi., ShinichiEds.
(2012) CLIL: New Challenges inForeignLanguage
Education. Volume 2,Tokyo: Sophia University Press.
Summary
You can downloadthe slidesandadditional resourcesat
www.uniliterate.com
• Please email me!
rpinner@sophia.ac.jp
• Please alsocheckout
www.cliljapan.com
Thanks for your attentionand ‘keepitreal!’