Topic 2: Supplementing MaterialsRealia and Authentic Materials in the Classroom

Topic 2: Supplementing Materials

Realia and Authentic Materials in the Classroom

Realia, authentic materials, and authentic tasks can bring writing to life. Students usually find them interesting and motivating because they are from outside the classroom. You can use realia to give students ideas for writing. Some examples of possible realia to use are:

pictures from websites, books, or magazines

advertisements or flyers

travel brochures

short online video clips

Students can describe pictures. A flyer (from a grocery store, for example) can be a model. Your students can create a similar flyer for a grocery store where they live. Students can write a plan for a trip they want to take by using a travel brochure. Students can read the advertisements and write a description of what they will buy or compare similar advertisements.

Authentic materials, like realia, are from outside of the classroom. They are materials intended for speakers of English as an L1. Application forms, newspaper or magazine articles, and video clips are examples. Students can use the authentic materials to do activities such as: 

complete forms 

read a news story and write a similar story

watch a video clip and predict what happens in the next scene

write reviews of films or concerts similar to newspaper or Internet reviews

Giving students authentic tasks can also be motivating. Tasks are authentic when they:

involve a real context (a holiday celebrated in your country when people exchange a written message) 

have a real purpose (sending thoughts and greetings for the holiday)

have a real audience (family, friends, teachers) 

Writing greeting cards or creating a book of recipes or poems are examples of authentic tasks. Pairing students with a pen- or e-friend and asking them to communicate by email is also an authentic task.