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Creating Authentic Materials and Activities for the Adult Literacy Classroom: A Handbook for Practitioners
Abstract
By providing illustrative examples from real classrooms and feedback from teachers, this teacher handbook brings to life ways teachers have modified their adult literacy classroom practice to be more learner contextualized. It provides guidance in moving toward contextualized literacy instruction; teachers must adapt suggestions to most suitably meet their classes' needs. Chapter 1 provides a background of existing theory on contextualized instruction. Chapter 2 addresses getting to know students and their contexts outside of school. Guidelines are provided for beginning and building relationships with students and initiating discussions and activities that help determine literacy practices most relevant to the learners. Chapter 3 provides a generalized guide to help teachers create their own materials and activities that meet skill needs of students within a relevant context. Chapter 4 provides more examples of the kind of materials and activities that can be termed authentic. It describes two themed activities (Household Tasks, Parenting and Family) that can organize classes for weeks at a time and presents possible followup activities for each theme. Chapter 5 addresses assessment, including what it is for; what tools are best for assessing students and programs; how contextualized instruction fits with standardized assessment; and whether curriculum can be contextualized when one or more assessment measures are not. Appendixes include 42 references; 2 class portraits; and list of 45 print and web resources. (YLB)
... Authentic materials are defined as materials designed for real language use within its community (Kilickaya, 2004). Jacobson et al. (2003) regard authentic materials as printed materials used in the classroom context in the same way they would be used in real life. Authentic materials are described as materials that represent real-life contexts and situations with actual language use (Herod, 2002;Wulandari & Waloyo, 2018). ...
... Authentic materials can help make learning processes enjoyable and stimulating (Al Azri & Al-Rashdi, 2014;Kilickaya, 2004;Oguz & Bahar, 2008;Richards, 2001;Wulandari & Waloyo, 2018). This study, inspired by Jacobson et al.'s (2003) definition of authentic materials, explored the types of authentic materials that were developed and utilised for vocational high school students as well as the students and teacher's perceptions and responses. ...
Although using authentic materials has advantages and disadvantages, it is evident that they bring many benefits to EFL learners, especially in terms of developing communication skills and cultural understanding. Moreover, they offer an opportunity to learn how English is used in real-life situations. This study adopts accidental ethnography as the research methodology. It illustrates, through content and language integrated learning (CLIL), how authentic materials are effective and useful to EFL learners in a specialised vocational high school. The findings indicated that the participants genuinely learned English and acquired career-related vocabulary that would be beneficial to their prospects, hence lending credence to the potential of authentic materials.
... Reliability helps learners understand vocabulary in context and become familiar with the nuances, idiomatic expressions and cultural aspects associated with the language, making the learning experience more realistic and hands-on. (Jacobson et al., 2003). 5.) Multimodality, combining multiple modes of communication such as text, images, voice and video will help you develop a deeper understanding of vocabulary. ...
This study aims to determine whether there is an impact of teaching English using videos on students' vocabulary skills at Anuban Chumchon Phukradueng School. The researcher used a quasi-experimental design to determine the comparison between two groups that received different treatments. The total population of grade 5 was 94 students, but the researcher decided to select two classes 5.2 and 5.3 after getting recommendations from the school and finding that the two classes were equal. Researchers used tests as instruments to collect data and the final result of this study is that teaching English using videos has a very significant impact on students' vocabulary skills.
... According to Jacobson et al. (2003), "there are five components of writing those are contains, organization, vocabulary, language use, and mechanics." Writing involves a step-by-step process that requires attention to various important factors namely planning, drafting, editing, and final version (Harmer, 2004;Sorenson, 2009). ...
This study aims to determine the influence of the Think Talk Write learning model on the ability to write announcement texts among eighth grade students at SMPN 18 Tasikmalaya in the 2023/2024 academic year. This research employed a quasi-experimental method with a quantitative approach. The research sample consisted of 40 eighth-grade students, with 20 students from class VIII-D serving as the experimental group and 20 students from class VIII-A serving as the control group. Data collection was carried out using pretests and posttests. The pretest was administered to both groups before the treatment. After the treatment, a posttest was conducted for both groups. To analyze the data, the researcher used an independent sample t-test with SPSS. The average pretest score in the experimental class using the Think Talk Write learning model was 56.35, and the average posttest score was 80.70. The average pretest score in the control class using the conventional learning model was 51.65, and the posttest score was 71.40. Thus, the learning outcomes in the experimental class were more successful than those in the control class. Based on statistical testing (t-test), the difference in the average posttest scores between the experimental and control classes showed that the Sig. (2-tailed) value was less than 0.05, specifically 0.013 < 0.05. This indicates that the Think Talk Write model has a significant effect on the ability to write announcement texts among eighth-grade students at SMPN 18 Tasikmalaya in the 2023/2024 academic year.
... Such materials are often thought to contain more realistic and natural examples of language use than those found in textbooks other specially developed teaching materials" According to Herod (2002:66)states that AM are materials and activities designed to imitate the real world situations. Jacobson et al (2003: 1) see authentic materials as printed materials, which are used in classrooms in the same way they would be used in real life. 1.6.2 ...
ان المواد الحقيقية عي من اهم الادوات التي يستخدمها المدرس لجعل عملية التعلم اكثر سهولة وفعالية لنقل المعلومات الضرورية لكل الطلاب. هدف البحث بالبحث تجريبيا في فعالية استخدام الادوات الحقيقية في تدريس اللغة الانكليزية كلغة اجنبية , بسبب ان الطلاب اشارو الى اهمية المواد الحقيقية كدافع لعملية التعلم للطلاب, تحفيز اهتمامهم وتعريضهم للغة الحقيقية التي يواجهونه في العالم الحقيقي. وافترض البحث انه لايوجد فروق احصائية بين المجموعة الضابطة التي تدرس اللغة الانكليزية بالطريقة التقليدية والمجموعة التجريبية التي تدرس بالمواد الحقيقية. ضمت العينة 64 طالبة في كلية التربية البدنية وعلوم الرياضة للبنات. كلا المجموعتين اخضعن للاختبار القبلي وبعد ثلاثة اشهروانتهاء التجربة اخضعوا للاختبار البعدي. وبعد تحليل النتائج احصائيا وجد ان هناك فرق ذو دلالة احصائية ولصالح المجموعة التجريبية .
... In the same line of thought, Herod (2002) coined the term "authentic learning", synonymously with 'authentic materials', to refer to the sum of ''materials and activities' are designed to imitate real-world situations". By the same token, Jacobson et al (2003) referred to authentic materials as "printed materials". The notion of 'real authentic' along the paper means those materials, which are designed and/or selected to reflect the TL in terms of language use and culture. ...
The study focuses on the significance of using Real English Authentic Teaching Materials (hereafter REATMs) in EFL classes in Algeria. Since the ultimate objective of the BMD System (aka LMD) is to enable EFL students to achieve higher proficiency in both the receptive and productive skills in English, this study endeavours to point out the positive features of relying on REATMs in ELT to accomplish the aforesaid underlying objectives. For the sake of analysing, arguing, and discussing the weight of such visual aids in reaching the intended EFL linguistic competence; quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (interview) research methods were used to probe 150 EFL learners' attitudes alongside six (06) university lectures' motivations correspondingly at Ibn Khaldoun University of Tiaret towards the variety of materials being exploited in EFL classes. Both informants and respondents agree upon the fact that the effective manipulation of and/or being exposed to such means supports the target language teaching and fulfils every learner's needs.
... Authentic problems, where functional (languages) skills are needed to solve them, differ from the texts that are used within the context of the national testing regime. Ideally authentic learning is aligned with a form of evaluation where students could show and improve their functional (language) skills in different authentic contexts (Jacobson, Degener & Purcell-Gates, 2003). However, such an evaluation is hard to organize on a large scale. ...
Student performance for general subjects such as language and mathematic skills is poor in secondary vocational education in most countries. In Flanders, more than half of the vocational students have a low socio-economic background. Internationally,
relatively few schools manage to combine a high number of disadvantaged students and high levels of achievement. These schools do focus on student-centred learning and have a challenging curriculum that connects to students’ lives.
This dissertation contributes to a shared understanding of powerful learning environments (PLEs) for an integrated general subjects course in vocational secondary education.
We found that teachers, teacher educators and students strongly favor authentic and challenging learning tasks, endorse the importance of 21st. century competences, prefer adaptive teaching and learning support -although not univocal by students-, and emphasize the importance of a positive and safe learning environment.
Additionally, the dissertation provides further insight into how PLEs could be developed so that every student experiences high quality learning, resulting in higher levels of student engagement.
Finally, this dissertation provides an understanding of professional cultures of teaching and their relationship with student achievement.
Creating PLEs is very complex and demanding. We argue that for the individual classroom teacher to create PLEs that benefit the learning of every student is probably not the best solution. Our findings prompt us to search for an alternative approach to
enhance vocational education students’ learning and move towards a much more collaborative teaching practice.
... According to Herold (2002), authentic learning depends on the materials and activities designed to imitate real -life situations. Jacobson, E., Degener, S., & Purcell-Gates, V., (2003) assert that authentic materials are tailored for real life communication. According to Carter &Nunan (2001), authentic materials are "ordinary texts not produced specifically for language teaching purposes" (p. ...
English due to its greater significance is more frequently used for communication across the globe (Shamim, 2007) of the four integrated skills, listening and speaking are widely used for daily life communication. To develop the listening and speaking skills, authentic materials are used in classroom to prepare ESL learners for effective communication in real life world. Authentic materials are usually context specific, easy to comprehend and better in developing the learners' communicative skills (Guariento & Morley, 2001; Wilcox et al., 1999). This study was conducted to investigate the role of authentic materials in developing listening and speaking skills of ESL secondary level learners enrolled in Access Program aimed to target peripheries inhabited by less privileged communities of Karachi Pakistan. Access Program is a foreign funded extensive long term English Language program primarily meant for the less privileged communities with students aged between 14 to 16 years and having very low level of English language proficiency. Four ESL teachers (n=4) and twenty-five ESL learners (n=25) constituted the sample. This study adopted a mixed method approach to explore the use of authentic materials in developing the listening and speaking skills of ESL PJER, Vol 5, Issue 3 (2022) The impact of… 12 learners. A pre-test was conducted with the intent to know the learners' proficiency level of English language. This was followed by a post-test to examine the role of authentic materials. Semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with teachers. Data gleaned through interviews were thematically analyzed. For statistical data analysis, SPSS software was used to measure mean (M), standard deviation (SD), t-value and significant level between pre and post-test of listening and speaking. From the data analysis, it was found that authentic materials have positive impact in developing the learners' listening and speaking skills.
... Authentic materials have been defined as" materials that have been produced to fulfill some social purpose in the language community" (Peacock,1997). According to Jacobson, et al (2003), authentic materials are print or learner-contextualized materials and activities used in the classroom in ways that they would be used in the lives of learners outside their classes. Authentic materials in the classroom therefore are stretches of real language, produced by real speakers or writers for real audiences and designed to convey real messages of some sort. ...
The previous chapter presented the findings obtained by analyzing the initial and final questionnaires, as well as assessing the conversation history of participants. According to the findings, participants generally had a higher WTC score at the end of the study. However, the WTC level improved more for participants who communicated with, as opposed to without, the IM translation option. The findings also revealed that participants who communicated with the aid of the IM translator took advantage of the tool during the conversation. As a result, they exchanged more words and turns, took ownership, enhanced the conversation, engaged in more synchronous exchanges, and spent more time on pre-selected tasks and conversation topics. Furthermore, they repeated, paraphrased, and explained themselves more often than participants without the IM translation option, thereby taking advantage of the OTC offered by the tool. See Chap. 4, Sect. 4.2.8 for details.
Este artículo se basa en un proyecto de innovación docente en que estudiantes chilenos y estadounidenses participaron en la creación de un libro (Voices for global communication) que incluye entrevistas a hablantes nativos norteamericanos. El texto presenta conversaciones en inglés para la enseñanza de este idioma en niveles intermedio o preavanzado. De igual forma, el trabajo intenta responder de qué manera es posible crear un recurso educativo basado en lo que conocemos como material auténtico en el aprendizaje de un segundo idioma. Se presenta la literatura especializada que describe y analiza la utilidad de comprender la cultura, leer, entender, escribir y hablar respecto del lenguaje utilizado por hablantes nativos en contextos de la vida diaria. Se describen las etapas de desarrollo del proyecto, el entrenamiento a estudiantes chilenos para realizar entrevistas en inglés, el análisis de discurso producto de las entrevistas, las actividades del libro, el trabajo en red de un equipo de académicos de la Universidad Arturo Prat y Holy Family University y Albright College de Estados Unidos y evaluación del impacto en los estudiantes chilenos por medio de un cuestionario lista de cotejo y focus group. Los resultados entregan información significativa acerca de las estrategias metodológicas adecuadas para el desarrollo de competencia lingüística en universitarios chilenos, principalmente aquellas que son necesarias para entrevistar e interactuar con hablantes nativos en inglés, en este caso, mediante un libro que promueve la comprensión y tolerancia cultural por medio de actividades diseñadas para su uso.
Local Literacies is a unique detailed study of the role of reading and writing in people’s everyday lives. By concentrating on a selection of people in a particular community in Lancaster, England, the authors analyse how they use literacy in their day-to-day lives. It follows four people in detail examining how they use local media, their participation in public life, the role of literacy in family activities and in leisure pursuits. Links are made between everyday learning and education. The study is based on an ethnographic approach to studying everyday activities and is framed in the theory of literacy as a social practice.
ABSTRACTS
This descriptive study documented the range and frequency of literacy practices in 20 low‐socioeconomic‐status homes over an aggregated week of observation and measured the emergent literacy knowledges held by 24 children, ages 4 to 6, in these homes. The analysis focused on the social domains mediated by print as well as the linguistic unit and complexity of discourse text read and/or written by the participants in the homes. The analysis also examined relationships between the types and frequencies of literacy events and the emergent literacy knowledges held by the focal children. Results revealed a description of literacy practice and literacy learning which included great variability in type and frequency of literacy events across the 20 homes. The results also suggested the following patterns of relationships between home literacy practices and emergent literacy knowledge: (a) children's understanding of the intentionality of print is related to both the frequency of literacy events in the home and to their personal focus and involvement in the literacy events, (b) children knew more about the alphabetic principle and the specific forms of written language more in homes where literate members read and wrote at more complex levels of discourse for their own entertainment and leisure, and (c) parents' intentional involvement in their children's literacy learning was higher when their children began formal literacy instruction in school. Reflections on literacy as cultural practice and the ways in which school and home learning can build upon each other are discussed.
ESTE ESTUDIO descriptivo documentó el rango y la frecuencia de las prácticas de alfabetización en 20 hogares de nivel socioeconómico bajo a lo largo de una semana de observación y midió los conocimientos emergentes sobre la lectoescritura de 24 niños de 4 a 6 años provenientes de estos hogares. El análisis puso el acento en los dominios sociales mediatizados por la escritura, así como en el tipo de unidad lingüística y la complejidad discursiva de los textos leídos y/o escritos por los participantes en los hogares. El análisis también examinó las relaciones entre los tipos y frecuencia de los eventos de alfabetización y los conocimientos emergentes sobre la lectoescritura de los niños del estudio. Los resultados revelaron una descripción de las prácticas de alfabetización y el aprendizaje de la lectoescritura que incluía una gran variación en el tipo y la frecuencia de los eventos en los 20 hogares. Los resultados también sugirieron los siguientes patrones de relaciones entre las prácticas de alfabetización en el hogar y los conocimientos emergentes sobre la lectoescritura: (a) la comprensión por parte de los niños de la intencionalidad de la escritura está relacionada con la frecuencia de los eventos de alfabetización en el hogar y con sus intereses personales y compromiso con dichos eventos, (b) los niños que sabían más acerca del principio alfabético y las formas específicas del lenguaje escrito pertenecían a hogares en los que los miembros alfabetizados leían y escribían en niveles complejos del discurso y con propósitos de entretenimento y placer y (c) el compromiso intencional de los padres con los aprendizajes de sus hijos era más alto cuando los niños comenzaban el aprendizaje formal en la escuela. Se discuten reflexiones sobre la alfabetización como práctica cultural y las formas en que el aprendizaje en la escuela y el hogar pueden enriquecerse mutuamente.
DIESE BESCHREIBENDE Studie dokumentiert Umfang und Häufigkeit von Lese‐ und Schreibpraktiken in 20 Familien mit niedrigem sozialökonomischen Status im Zeitraum einer ganzen Woche, wobei die daraus hervorgehenden Kenntnisse im Lesen und Schreiben an 24 Kindern im Alter von vier bis sechs Jahren gemessen wurden. Die Analyse konzentrierte sich auf die sozialen Interaktionen, die eingeleitet wurden durch gedruckte wie gesprochene Einheiten, und auf den Umfang von Gesprächen über einen von den Teilnehmern gelesenen und/oder geschriebenen Text. Die Analyse untersuchte auch die Zusammenhänge zwischen den Textsorten und der Häufigkeit von literarisierenden Erlebnissen und den daraus sich ergebenden Fähigkeiten, die sich die Zielgruppe aneignete. Die Ergebnisse erbrachten einen Zusammenhang zwischen den Tätigkeiten der Lese‐ und Schreibpraxis und dem Lesenlernen, wobei eine große Bandbreite an Formen und in der Häufigkeit von Lese‐ wie Schreibanlässen in den 20 Familien sichtbar wurde. Die Ergebnisse legen die folgenden Beziehungsmuster in der vorschulischen Literarisierung und den sich daraus ergebenden Fähigkeiten nahe: a) Das Verständnis der Kinder für die Botschaft von etwas Gedrucktem hängt zusammen mit der Häufigkeit von Textangeboten in der Familie, mit dem persönlichen Interesse wie mit dem persönlichen Beteiligungsgrad an dem literarisierenden Ereignis. b) Kinder wußten eher Bescheid über alphabetische Prinzipien und die spezifischen Formen der geschriebenen Sprache in solchen Familien, deren alphabetisierte Mitglieder sich einer höheren, komplexeren Sprachebene beim Lesen und Schreiben zu ihrer Unterhaltung und zur Entspannung bedienten. c) Das Interesse der Eltern an der Literarisierung ihrer Kinder war größer zu dem Zeitpunkt, als ihre Kinder in der Schule offiziell lesen und schreiben lernten. Besprochen werden Überlegungen hinsichtlich der Literarisierung als einer Kulturtechnik und hinsichtlich der Möglichkeiten, inwiefern familiäre und schulische Lese‐ und Schreiblernprozesse aufeinander aufbauen können.