There are lots of resources available to English teachers today: from textbooks to online teaching tools, they can all aid and enrich English lessons. Many ESL teachers also introduce authentic English material into their lessons to expose learners to the language as it is spoken in the real world.
Authentic material is any material written in English that was not created for intentional use in the English classroom. Using this content for teaching English can make the teaching experience even more engaging, imaginative and motivating for students. It can also be useful to elicit genuine responses from English language learners.
The great thing about using authentic material is that it is everywhere, which makes it easy to find, and simple for learners to practice English in their own time. Remember that it isn’t limited to articles from newspapers and magazines. Songs, TV programs and films, radio and podcasts, leaflets, menus – anything written in English constitutes authentic material.
The best content to select depends on the learners, their level of English and the course content the English teacher wishes to focus on. It’s also a good idea to find out the learners’ interests – after all, there’s no point trying to get students fascinated by a text on the latest sci-fi movie if they’re all fans of action films.
The materials should reflect a situation that a student may face in an English-speaking environment – this will help them transition into a world where English is the norm. In this world, people use abbreviations, body language is important and they’ll use 'filler' sounds – such as 'ummm' – when they are speaking English – and learners will encounter these in authentic material.
It’s important not to overwhelm learners with the first piece of authentic material. So, choose articles, songs or sections of TV programs or movies that aren’t too difficult to understand or take too long to get through.
Here are two ideas for using authentic material in class: do remember to develop the ideas into a proper lesson plan and explain the aims thoroughly to your learners…
Food is important to everyone, so introduce language learners to some of the common dishes in English-speaking countries so that they will be able to order meals with confidence. Many restaurants have their menus online, so you can easily download them (no need to walk or drive around the neighborhood).
Try to use local restaurants to make it more meaningful for your students, and ensure you have plenty of copies of the menu. You can then either go through the menu and ask each student to guess what the meals are, or they can write down what they would order. You could use different menus for each course, which would widen the types of dishes you can cover during the learning activity. You or another team member could pretend to be the waiter or waitress and your students can practice their spoken English by reading their order back to you.
At the end of the task, you could encourage learners to add up the cost of their courses to calculate their bill – and even ask them to add on a 10% tip to mirror the experience of being in a real restaurant. Remember, these suggestions focus on different skills, so you could use them to form lesson plans for a 'speaking' lesson, a “reading” lesson, etc.
Listening to songs with English lyrics is an excellent way of boosting skills in listening and pronunciation, and confidence in using the language. And students will always respond positively to English classes that involve their favorite singer or band.
Ask your students to write down their favorite artist and a song by them that they like and have listened to a few times. They can then try to remember the lyrics, or look at the video on YouTube – they only need to write down a few lines of the song. Then ask them to listen to the lyrics for useful vocabulary, phrases and expressions for everyday language, including colloquial speech.
The language used in lyrics can be casual, tell a simple story or convey strong emotions, which should help learners to establish a connection with the language because it will give them new ways to describe their feelings in different situations. You could even ask them to come up with alternative words, as a way of further increasing and using their vocabulary.
Some song lyrics are commonly misheard, so you could create a quiz in which students have to choose the next words – words that grammatically fit into the lyrics. This can be a funny English lesson – for you as well as your students.
Help level up your English language program with our Global Scale of English teaching resources.
For other foreign language needs we also have the Global Scale of Languages.
At Pearson Languages, 2024 has been a landmark year full of innovation, connection, and impactful resources for businesses worldwide. We’ve worked on so many things with the aim to empower global workforces and help organizations unlock the potential of language skills to drive business success. Here's how we made a difference this year.
As the new year approaches, it's the perfect time to reflect on our teaching practices and plan engaging, effective lessons for our English as a Second Language (ESL) students. Thoughtfully crafted lesson plans can make a significant difference in the learning outcomes and engagement levels of your students. Whether you're teaching young children, teenagers, or adults, the principles of effective lesson planning remain consistent. Here are some ideas, hints and tips to help you create dynamic and successful ESL lessons for students of all ages.
Begin each lesson with clear, achievable objectives. What do you want your students to learn by the end of the lesson? Objectives provide a roadmap for both you and your students, ensuring that everyone is focused and aware of the goals. For example, an objective might be "Students will be able to use past tense verbs to describe their weekend activities." Clear objectives provide direction and help you measure student progress.
To cater to different learning styles and keep students engaged, incorporate a mix of teaching methods and activities. Here are a few ideas:
Authentic materials—such as newspapers, menus, brochures and videos—expose students to real-world language and contexts. These materials can make lessons more interesting and relevant, helping students see the practical application of their language skills. Even better, they’re everywhere, so easy to find. Here are some more suggestions for how to select and use authentic materials in your English language teaching.
Teachers are already used to leveraging technology to enhance lessons utilizing online resources, language learning apps and interactive platforms to create a dynamic learning environment. Why not take this a step further by using AI to create your own resources. Take a look at our blog on How to make the most of AI in the classroom for some more ideas.
How can teachers use the Global Scale of English (GSE) and AI to help students set and achieve language learning goals for the new year?
As the new year rolls around, it’s the perfect time for students to set fresh language learning goals. But for teachers, it’s not just about inspiring students—it’s about giving them clear, measurable goals that they can actually achieve. That’s where the GSE, a very powerful tool, comes in. It can help teachers create personalized learning paths based on where students are right now and guide them toward their language goals throughout the year. Let’s dive into how the GSE can work to boost student progress.
The GSE is a precise framework that measures English proficiency with remarkable detail. Each score on the GSE aligns with specific speaking, listening, reading and writing competencies. For instance, a student with a GSE score of 50 might handle everyday conversations comfortably (B1 level), while a score of 75 indicates functioning at a more advanced level (C1).
What sets the GSE apart is its granularity—it goes beyond general levels of "intermediate" or "advanced," allowing teachers to identify exactly what their students can do at any stage. This level of detail enables teachers to set targeted, skill-specific goals for every learner, ensuring personalized and purposeful progression.
Before setting goals, it’s important to determine each student’s current standing. The GSE is an excellent tool for this because it provides a detailed breakdown of a student's skills. Teachers can use GSE-aligned assessments to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses, which gives a clearer picture than just knowing if a student is at an “intermediate” or “advanced” level.
Once you know where students are, you can set a baseline. For instance, if a student’s reading score is 52, you’ll know that they are likely in the B1 range, and you can target specific skills (like improving vocabulary or understanding main ideas) to move them forward.
Now that you know where each student stands, it's time to set some goals. These should be realistic, measurable and achievable based on their current level and the time span involved. The key is to pick goals that will push them to improve without overwhelming them. The GSE has detailed descriptions of what students can do at each level. You can pinpoint specific skills that need attention by looking at these descriptors. We know that large goals can feel intimidating, so break them into smaller, manageable chunks. Here, the GSE is an amazing resource, thanks to its granularity.
Using the GSE Learning Objectives (LOs) in conjunction with an LLM (Large Language Model) opens up a world of possibilities for creating focused activities at the right level for each student. Here are some key points on how this combination enhances personalized learning:
By combining the GSE LOs and harnessing the power of an LLM like ChatGPT, teachers can create personalized activities that cater to individual students' language needs, promote active learning, and foster continuous improvement.
Setting goals is just the start—tracking progress and adjusting those goals as needed is just as important. Throughout the year, teachers should regularly check in with students to make sure they’re on track. How can we monitor and adjust? Here are some tips.
Teachers should schedule regular one-on-one sessions with students to review their progress. The GSE can clearly show students their progress.
If students are achieving their goals faster than expected, adjusting their targets is important to keep them challenged. If they’re struggling, the goals might need to be more achievable, with smaller, more gradual steps.
Using the GSE can help students set clear, measurable goals and steadily progress throughout the year. By assessing where students are starting, setting specific GSE-based goals, creating personalized learning paths with AI, and continuously tracking progress, teachers can create a more dynamic and effective learning experience for their students. The new year is the perfect opportunity to help students improve their English and achieve their goals—and with these tools, teachers have everything they need to guide students toward success.
