USE OF AUTHENTIC MATERIAL FOR ADULTS THROUGH VIRTUAL TOOLS

By Fredy Vanegas – Juan David Farigua

Nowadays we live in a globalized world in which languages are seen as important tools in
order to develop guide our professional life towards a better understanding and therefore
improve ourselves. Thus, learn English to most of the people involved in academic or
business contexts I essential for a complete development in those areas.

Firstly, as stated by (Purcell-Gates, Degener, Jacobson, and Soler, 2001) when EFL used
authentic materials inside the classroom, they were more likely to engage in literacy
activities outside the classroom. Then, we can affirm that the correct use of such authentic
materials will lead EFL students to a better understanding of the language and they will
engage in the activities easily. Authentic materials from a particular source, such as reading
from newspapers, tend to work in consistent areas of language, so, after a while, students
who practice reading on specific areas will improve in reading English language specific
articles and publications.

By the way, as we will work with virtual tools, those authentic materials will be available to
those who want to boost their abilities in English, but specifically in reading
comprehension. As reading is such a complex skill, adult learners can transfer their reading
skills from their mother tongue to the target language. By this we mean, that those
advanced reading skills can be transferred. Therefore, reading can develop skills such as
predicting, reading for the gist, skimming and scanning. As stated by (Hedge, 2003, p. 200-
201). Students are urged to read independently by using the resources within their reach.
Being said this, we can establish a link between the virtual tool and the autonomy of the
reader.

Finally, as stated by (Seife cited in Pianfetti, 2001, p. 256) the definition of literacy has
expanded from traditional notions of reading and writing to include the ability to learn,
comprehend, and interact with technology in a meaningful way. Here is when the tools to
be designed will have an impact on the population chosen as the digital era expands the
demand for knowledge will also expand itself. Thus, the link established by virtual tools
and reading comprehension improving the development of new lexical items, grammatical
structure and offer writing models to EFL students is completed.
REFERENCES

Hedge, Tricia. (2003). Teaching & learning in the language classroom.

Jacobson, E., Degener, S., & Purcell-Gates, V. (2003). Creating authentic materials and
activities for the adult literacy classroom: A handbook for practitioners. NCSALL teaching
and training materials. Boston, MA: NCSALL at World Education.
Pianfetti, E.S. (2001). Teachers and technology: Digital literacy through professional
development. Language Arts, 78, 255-262