Use of English-language periodicals as authentic materials

Authentic Materials

One of the best ways to teach or learn English as a Second Language (ESL) or a Foreign Language (EFL) is by using authentic materials that have been prepared for native speakers in real-life conditions. Newspapers and magazines in English are generally available in most parts of the world. At a bazaar or bookstore in Istanbul, at a news kiosk in Barcelona, ​​at a cultural center in Bogotá, or on a street corner in Paris, you can pick up a local, regional, or international newspaper to use in an English language. foreign (EFL) classroom setting. Here are some suggestions for putting them to good use.

To help you with incentives, tips, and ideas for what, when, and how to use a newspaper or magazine, I analyzed a British English-language magazine and an American English-language newspaper to find ways to extract maximum use from each. These suggestions could also apply to online publications, as well as other types of periodicals in foreign languages, both in print and digital.

Front page

The title, publication number, and any “teaser” that appears can be used to get an overview of the newspaper and start a short discussion based on the prediction. What is the article going to be about? Who are the people on the cover? What do you know about them, the place or the situation involved?

Table of Contents

Often these contain more detailed information and brief descriptions of journal articles and features that can help with discussion or forecasting activities. Ask students which article, section, or column they would like to read and why.

Full Page/Half Page Ads

Depending on the content, ads can be used to illustrate tenses, describe colors, clothing, materials, etc. If present, additional advertising content may include websites, addresses, phone numbers, dates, times, other contact information, etc., all useful topics for class work. Do you or your students use the products, or similar? Are the products seasonal? Only for men or women? For a particular age group? Available in your area? Why or why not? Work with any adjective in the ad: either those that appear or those that are implied in the photo or the product. Publicity photos often tend to be exotic or provocative in nature. They can be used in a variety of ways. Be sure to visit the websites mentioned in the ad, either during class or as an online assignment.

So it doesn’t matter what English language newspapers and magazines are typically available in your part of the world; In a bazaar or bookstore, a newsstand, a cultural center or on a street corner, choose a local, regional or international newspaper to use in your English as a Foreign Language (EFL) class. Both you and your students will benefit. While you’re at it, email me at [email protected] and if you’d be kind, I’ll send you a free copy of my eBook, “The Getting Started Guide for Foreign Language Learners” by return email. mail.