# Exploiting Authentic Material

Authentic material is language produced for real communication, not for learners: news, menus, timetables, ads,
podcasts, videos, songs, social media posts, forms, product labels, emails, signs.

## Principle: grade the task, not the text

Keep the text as it is and make the task fit the level. Lower-level learners can do a lot with a real text if
the task asks for something they can find.

| Level | Same text: a real restaurant menu | Same text: a news article |
|-------|-----------------------------------|---------------------------|
| A1 | Find three things you can drink; how much is a coffee? | Find the numbers and dates; what are they? |
| A2 | Choose a meal for a vegetarian under 20 euros | Read the headline and first sentence: who, what, where? |
| B1 | Role play ordering; ask about ingredients | Gist + five detail questions on paragraphs 1-3 |
| B2 | Compare two menus and write a short review | Identify facts vs opinions; summarise both sides |
| C1 | Analyse the persuasive language of menu descriptions | Evaluate the article's bias and sources |

Change the text only if the task cannot work otherwise; then shorten (cut paragraphs) before simplifying
language, and label it "adapted".

## Choosing a text

| Criterion | Question |
|-----------|----------|
| Interest | Will these learners want to read or watch it? |
| Relevance | Does it match their needs (work, study, daily life, exam)? |
| Exploitability | Can it support a sequence of tasks (gist, detail, language, response)? |
| Language | Does it contain useful language at a reachable level? (`vocab_extract.py` coverage 85%+ for detail tasks) |
| Length | Short enough for the lesson stage; cut to the useful part |
| Cultural load | How much background knowledge does it assume? Can you supply it quickly? |
| Shelf life | Will it date quickly? News works for one lesson; evergreen texts can be reused |
| Sensitivity | Topics that may upset the class (war, migration, illness, religion)? |
| Rights | Can you legally use it in class? (see copyright-and-sources.md) |

## Task ideas by material

| Material | Pre-task | Main tasks | Language focus | Follow-up |
|----------|----------|------------|----------------|-----------|
| News article | Predict from headline/photo | Gist; who/what/where/when/why; T/F | Headline grammar, reporting verbs | Discuss; write a comment |
| Podcast / radio | Topic brainstorm | Gist; note-taking table; speakers' opinions | Discourse markers, fillers, chunks | Record a short response |
| Video / TV clip | Watch without sound, predict | Order events; who says what | Functional phrases in the scene | Role play the scene |
| Song | Predict from title | Gap-fill (6-8 gaps); order lines | Rhyme, contractions, poetic language | Discuss meaning; write a verse |
| Timetable / schedule | What is it for? | Scan for times; plan a trip | Times, prepositions | Info-gap role play |
| Menu | Food brainstorm | Scan for items and prices; choose for a person | Food adjectives, ordering phrases | Restaurant role play |
| Advert | What does it sell? | Find the persuasive claims | Comparatives, imperatives, adjectives | Write an ad |
| Social media post / review | What type of text? | Opinion: positive or negative? Find reasons | Informal language, abbreviations | Write a reply or review |
| Form | Where would you see it? | Fill it in for a character | Form vocabulary (DOB, surname) | Fill in for yourself (or invented data) |
| Infographic / chart | What is it about? | Find three facts; compare figures | Describing trends, numbers | Present to a partner |

## Lesson shape

1. Lead-in: interest and background knowledge (supply cultural references).
2. Pre-teach no more than 4-6 items the task depends on (`vocab_extract.py`).
3. First task: gist or scanning, short time limit.
4. Second task: detail or note-taking, graded to the level.
5. Language focus: something useful the text shows naturally (chunks, collocations, register).
6. Response: speaking or writing that uses the content.

## Making learners comfortable with not understanding everything

- Tell them: "You don't need every word. Find..."
- Set tight time limits for first readings or listenings.
- Gloss on the page, not in a long pre-teaching stage.
- Praise strategies: guessing from context, using headings, pictures and numbers.