• Dr.K.Yugandhar

  Author

Generally students do not get exposure to the effective usage of the language in learning English as foreign language context. Learners feel it difficult to apply their linguistic knowledge outside of the classroom and thus knowledge remains inert. To address this issue, the class is expected to facilitate authentic material for motivation besides the process of acquisition. Maintaining essential conditions with adopted and adapted authentic material facilitates authentic interaction in the classroom.
Language learning is a process of enculturation (Brown, et al., 1989) where the authentic activity and social interaction are the central components of learning. Once activity, context and culture are separated in the class, learning will be decontextualized. This paper analyses the use of authentic materials by providing appropriate ambiance in the class and suggests that the criteria for material development should be clear, accountable, specific and valid to be really useful for language learning. Authentic materials should be prepared and practiced based on such core principles as “the ability to interest and engage learners, to be meaningful and challenging and to have a sustained positive impact” (Cooker, 2008). Further, it proposes the authentic learning principles that can be used to guide the design of language learning activities.

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