6. Fill in the following sentences using your active vocabulary:

1. Written translation of an article is a _________ assignment for me.

2. The result of the test still remains _________ for us as we haven’t received our papers back.

3. When writing an abstract it’s vital to _________ . information.

4. The title of the text holds some _________ .

5. To bring in some _________ between paragraphs of an essay it’s advisable to make use of transitory words.

6. Translating poetry is quite a _________ process.

7. Follow the _________ given in the manual when installing this computer program.

8. Some crucial ideas of the story presenting the hero’s inner speech were given by the author in _________ .

9. The underlined words need to be _________ by stylistically adequate equivalents.

7. Scan the text and restore its plan.

8. Scan the text once again and find out what lexical, semantic, syntactic and discourse elements are and what is the difference between them.

9. Scan the text another time to make a table explaining WHAT MAY REQUIRE ADAPTATION and HOW TO DO IT.

10. Summarize the contents of the table in your own words. Say which ways of adapting authentic materials are most popular. Can you propose any other ways teachers and textbook authors may use that may simplify reading authentic materials, but for adaptation?

11. Prepare a speech addressed to teacher-trainees on the importance and ways of adapting authentic materials (make active use of essential vocabulary). Be ready to share your view on popular ways of adapting authentic materials.

12. Follow-up:

1. Remember your own experiences in handling authentic materials for utilizing in the school setting. What was it like (challenges, priorities, selection, adaptation and implementation in the classroom)? Can you propose any pieces of advice from your experience?

2. Have a look at some different authentic texts (a fairy tale, an article from “The Times”, an advertisement, a manual on using a microwave, a personal letter, a recipe, an airport guide, an extract from a novel, etc.). Get ready to explain how the texts of these genres could be adapted, with the help of which strategies.

3. See the following text (extract from a scientific article) and propose various ways to adapt it:

In the course of the last ten years, the use of authentic materials has become increasingly popular in learning situations that range from traditional intensive ESL to language training for professionals. Particularly in the latter setting, many instructors are starting to recognize the possibilities offered by material that is not bound by textbook format limitations and can be applied to multiple tasks and learning objectives.

Authentic materials, when appropriately selected and implemented, can be used to develop tasks that depart from formulaic language learning and provide a bridge between the linguistic skills of learners and their professional knowledge goals. Such materials, in their various formats, can provide a wealth of linguistic and conceptual content to learners who are focused on specific applications of their linguistic skills.

The field of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), by its narrowly defined nature, requires the use of content materials that are not always constructed for the purpose of language learning. In seeking to identify and implement the most useful and relevant material for ESP courses, instructors need to design and organize classroom tasks that material for ESP courses, instructors need to design and organize classroom tasks that facilitate a sequence of information gathering, processing and presentation.

The use of authentic materials in the language classroom presents instructors with several challenges. One such challenge is development of effective research skills required to manage the vast amount of information available in written, spoken, or multimedia format. An additional challenge is the selection of material most appropriate to the objectives of a curriculum, a course, or even a single task. A third challenge is the implementation of materials and the subsequent demands of flexibility and adaptation of instruction that may not be confined to a traditional classroom setting.

(from “Authentic Materials: Selection and Implementation

in Exercise Language Training” by Valeriu Dumitrescu)

Text 11

ADAPTING AUTHENTIC MATERIALS FOR LANGUAGE TEACHING

Adapting original materials for language teaching is an incredibly subtle process – half art, half science. Clearly, the kind and degree of adapting depends on the age and language level of the student. In an effort to simplify text, it is easy to slip into the error of talking down to the reader. To illustrate the process of adapting, I have drawn on my experience in preparing an intermediate-level 300-page ESL text for business (Darian, in press). While such material seems far removed from the primary or secondary school classroom, the process is basically the same at all levels. I’ve divided our discussion into four sections: (1) semantic elements, (2) lexical elements, (3) syntactic elements, and (4) discourse elements. In this short article, we can just touch on a few considerations in each area.

Semantic Elements

One hidden problem in adapting materials is connotation. Native speakers don’t usually think about the primary or secondary connotation of a word – they just use it. The problem arises when the language learner is confronted with a secondary connotation of a word and, at best may know that word in its primary meaning. Take this example: Do you know any jokes that illustrate other people’s values? To the language learner, the primary connotation of illustrate would probably be “related to art and drawing”. When adapting materials, ask yourself whether a word’s primary connotation would obscure the secondary meaning. If so, substitute a clearer term. The example rewritten is: Do you know any jokes about other people’s values?

Here is another example that illustrates the problem of primary and secondary connotation:

Original: One of the keys to total quality management (TQM) is involving the employees.

Rewrite: One of the most important factors in total quality management (TQM) is involving the employees.

Lexical Elements

One of the first things that strike us as we read through authentic materials for adapting is the prevalence of difficult words or phrases. Here are several things to keep in mind when deciding which words may cause problems.