Hello Fearless Learners, it’s Halima. Welcome back to Blackboard English. Today, we’re going to be looking at how you can improve your English skills, your English speaking skills, and every other skill you can think of, using authentic material.
What is Authentic Material?
Now, before we get started, before I give you the tips, what does authentic material mean? If I were to define what authentic materials are, I would say they are materials made for native speakers of English or people that speak English as their main language, as their first language. So, rather than using materials made for language learners, that are simplified and made a bit easier for people learning English, you would use materials that are made for the general public. This could be things like podcasts, YouTube videos, radio, books, magazines, newspapers, blogs, movies, Netflix, and the list goes on. Just remember that it is made for people that speak English as their first language and is not from a textbook or simplified by a teacher.
What are the benefits of authentic material?
So, what is the benefit of authentic material? Let’s talk about it. I created a quick spider diagram to show you all the benefits of this. When certain materials are taken and simplified, a lot of the “juice” is taken away from the video, audio, or book, etc. But when you have authentic material, you can benefit from learning about patterns, jokes, idioms, collocations, and even cultural references. By choosing this material, you will be gaining a wealth of knowledge, rather than something that has been watered down too much or simplified.
Choosing authentic material
When you are choosing authentic material is that sometimes it can be quite challenging. When you choose a specific type of material, make sure it is level-appropriate. You want to choose authentic material that is maybe shorter, a bit easier to digest, or is about a topic you really enjoy. Be aware that most authentic material will be a bit challenging and will be a bit faster than what you are used to, so make sure you choose the right level of material. If you are a beginner, maybe start with a shorter newspaper article about a simple topic you enjoy. As you keep using these materials, you can uplevel and choose materials that are more challenging.
Another tip is to use resources like dictionaries, translation tools, and subtitles to help you understand the authentic material you have chosen. If you come across a word you don’t know while reading an article, write it down in a notebook and look up its meaning. Don’t be afraid to use these tools to help you understand the material.
Passive vs active learning
Another tip is to understand the difference between passive and active learning. If you are going to consume material, like watching or reading something, make sure you do some sort of activity around it and you’re not just sitting and passively listening or reading. The more active you can be, the better it is for your brain to retain the information. So, try to do something active while consuming the material, like drawing, writing, or even doing a physical activity.
Lastly, the final tip is to have fun with it. Choose material that you enjoy and that interests you. This will make the learning process more enjoyable and you will be more motivated to keep learning.
I hope these tips help you improve your English skills using authentic material. Good luck!