Attitudes of ELT Teachers Working in Turkey towards the Role and Use of Authentic Materials

Abstract

Sanderson (as cited in Tamo, 2009) defines authentic materials as “materials that we can use in the classroom and that have not been changed in any way for ESL students” (p. 74). This definition makes it clear that authentic materials bring learners into direct contact with real English usage. McGarry indicates that activities based on authentic texts play a key role in enhancing positive attitudes towards learning, in promoting the development of a wide range of skills, and in enabling students to work independently of the teacher. Since authentic materials are considered effective in language teaching by many scholars, this paper aims to reveal the general ideas of English language educators (teachers, instructors, tutors), working in different schools in Turkey regarding the notion of “authenticity” and “authentic material”. It further intends to find out their attitudes towards the authentic texts. The data was collected by a questionnaire adapted from the study of Yeung T. (2011). In addition to the questionnaire, semi-structured interviews were held with the participants which constitute the qualitative stage of the study. The results indicated that participants give importance to the role of authentic materials in language teaching. Besides, they have positive attitudes towards the use of authentic materials in their classrooms.

Keywords: authentic materials, authenticity, authentic texts, learner, teaching vocabulary