Task 4

Essential Reading:
1. Buendgens-Kosten, J. (2014). Authenticity. ELT Journal, 68(4), 457.
2. Gilmore, A. (2007). Authentic materials and authenticity in foreign
language learning. Language Teaching, 40(2), 97-118.
doi:10.1017/S0261444807004144
Read article 1 by Buendgens-Kosten. Answer the following question.
1. According to Widdowson, what is the difference between authenticity and
genuineness?
Read article 2 by Gilmore. Answer the following questions:
1. Read section 2: Defining Authenticity.
a. Look at the different definitions of authenticity. Which do you find to be
most useful? Why?
b. When discussing if we should use authentic materials, Gilmore says,
The key issue then becomes What are we trying to achieve
with classroom materials? A logical response to this would be
that the goal is to produce learners who are able to
communicate effectively in the target language of a particular
speech community, that is to say, learners who are
communicatively competent. To reach this goal, I would suggest
that teachers are entitled to use any means at their disposal,
regardless of the provenance of the materials or tasks and their
relative authenticity or contrivance.
Note that the term provenance means the source of the materials i.e.
if they are authentic or non-authentic. To what extent do you agree
with this statement?

2. Read section 5: Authenticity and Motivation.

Do you think that authentic texts are likely to increase students
motivation? Give reasons for your answer.
3. Read section 6: Text Difficulty and Task Design
a. List factors mentioned which affect the perceived difficulty of a text.
b. What do you understand by the concept, vary the task rather than the
text (page 109)?

c. Imagine that you give students an authentic listening based on a

weather forecast. How could you adapt the task so that you could use
same text with a) A2 learners, b) B2 learners?
4. Read section 6.1: Text modification, comprehensibility and SLA (focusing
on pages 109 and 110).
In the section Gilmore refers to ways in which texts can be made more
accessible (or easier to understand). He mentions text modification and text
elaboration. Text modification is where a text is simplified by removing or
changing unfamiliar linguistic items (e.g., unknown grammatical constructions
and lexis). In text elaboration, the text is made easier NOT by removing
complex structures, but by adding information to the text through the use of
repetition and paraphrases. For example:
(1) Original version:
(2) Simplified version:
(3) Elaborated version:

Phil is diligent and kind to others.

Phil is hardworking and kind to others.
Phil is diligent, or hardworking, and kind to others.

1. What does research tell us about the effects of text modification and text
elaboration?
2. What others methods are there for making texts easier for students to
understand?

1. According to Widdowson, what is the difference between authenticity

and genuineness?
- Features of a text (in isolation) and features of its use by learners.
Read article 2 by Gilmore. Answer the following questions:
1. Read section 2: Defining Authenticity.
a. Look at the different definitions of authenticity. Which do you find to be
most useful? Why?
b. When discussing if we should use authentic materials, Gilmore says,
The key issue then becomes What are we trying to achieve
with classroom materials? A logical response to this would be
that the goal is to produce learners who are able to
communicate effectively in the target language of a particular
speech community, that is to say, learners who are
communicatively competent. To reach this goal, I would suggest
that teachers are entitled to use any means at their disposal,
regardless of the provenance of the materials or tasks and their
relative authenticity or contrivance.
Note that the term provenance means the source of the materials i.e. if they
are authentic or non-authentic. To what extent do you agree with this
statement?
a. I agree, I think that teacher need to have freedom to choose what they
want to do, such as in Finland education. Because they need to
consider the class, facilities and learners.
2. I think so far, it depends on the level, the difficulties of text and tasks.
Learners might find the text interesting or not also depends on how
teachers motivate them through tasks and instructions.
A2
Gap fill
Matching
Write a short summary for the text
Simple questions: Where? How many
degrees?

B2
Rewrite and present your own
weather forecast with these
information
Intonation
True/false activities
Guess the meaning of difficult words
Discuss the weather in your country
and this weather forecast? Do you
know any places might have similar
weather?