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The Impact of Authentic Materials on Reading

Comprehension, Motivation, and Anxiety Among
Iranian Male EFL Learners

Ehsan Namaziandost, Mohammad Hasan Razmi, Shouket Ahmad Tilwani &

Abbas Pourhosein Gilakjani

To cite this article: Ehsan Namaziandost, Mohammad Hasan Razmi, Shouket Ahmad Tilwani &
Abbas Pourhosein Gilakjani (2021): The Impact of Authentic Materials on Reading Comprehension,
Motivation, and Anxiety Among Iranian Male EFL Learners, Reading & Writing Quarterly, DOI:
10.1080/10573569.2021.1892001

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Published online: 05 Mar 2021.

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READING & WRITING QUARTERLY
https://doi.org/10.1080/10573569.2021.1892001

The Impact of Authentic Materials on Reading Comprehension,

Motivation, and Anxiety Among Iranian Male EFL Learners
Ehsan Namaziandosta , Mohammad Hasan Razmib , Shouket Ahmad Tilwanic, and
Abbas Pourhosein Gilakjanid
a
Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran; bYazd University, Yazd, Iran; cPrince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz
University, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia; dIslamic Azad University, Lahijan, Iran

ABSTRACT
This study aimed to investigate the effect of using authentic materials on
English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ reading comprehension, read-
ing motivation, and reading anxiety. In this study, 58 Iranian male EFL
learners were selected and randomly assigned to an experimental and a
control group. Both groups were pretested through a reading comprehen-
sion test and the motivation for reading questionnaire (MRQ) to test their
reading comprehension ability and reading motivation. Having participated
in a period of 20 sessions in which the experimental group received treat-
ment of exposure to authentic materials and control group to simplified
materials, the students took a posttest of the reading comprehension test
and completed the MRQ. Additionally, to test students’ reading anxiety,
the two groups completed Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale
(FLRAS) in two pre- and posttest assessments. The scores obtained were
analyzed using one-way analysis of covariance and paired samples t-tests.
The results indicated that authentic materials enhanced Iranian learners’
reading motivation and their reading comprehension ability. In addition,
the findings suggested that the use of authentic texts significantly
improved EFL learner’s anxiety in the experimental group. The implications
of the study are discussed.

Introduction
Using authentic resources in English as a foreign language (EFL) circles has been a challenging
issue. Many claim that the language offered to foreign language learners should be informative
and condensed, while others advocate the authentic use of the texts used as input data in EFL
classes. The benefits of authentic materials discussed by foreign language researchers and teachers
(Badri & Salehi, 2017; Kim, 2015; Mekheimer, 2011) include enhancing comprehension, providing
specific language, adding cultural points, boosting motivation, and broadening knowledge
of language.
Teaching reading nowadays plays a significant role in the learning of English as a second or
foreign language (TESFL). With a crucial role in learning English as a foreign or second language,
reading can be taught to learners to expand their vocabulary and to help them learn the syntax of
a target language and get familiar with other cultures (Kilickaya, 2004; Kim, 2015). Additionally,
through reading, most of the new words can be learnt (O’Donnell, 2009). The language provided
to students in the coursebooks has long been regarded as a weak representation of the real target

CONTACT Ehsan Namaziandost e.namazi75@yahoo.com Department of English, Islamic Azad University,

Shahrekord, Iran.
ß 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
2 E. NAMAZIANDOST ET AL.

language use (Gilmore, 2007). Since the majority of the reading texts in coursebooks used in lan-
guage institutes are condensed or inauthentic and designed to teach new grammatical construc-
tions, they do not necessarily address the needs of particular students (Badri & Salehi, 2017).
Research has showed that employing actual rather than condensed texts is a proper strategy to
tackle this problem (Bakhshizadeh Gashti, 2018; Hwang, 2005; O’Donnell, 2009). Actual authors
convey messages to a particular audience using authentic texts such as newspapers, books, and
letters. Authentic texts are also believed to cultivate interest amongst learners (Gilmore, 2007;
Marzban & Davaji, 2015). Therefore, teachers are inclined to utilize authentic texts as actual read-
ing materials rather than condensed simplified forms in their language teaching programs to
encourage the learners and make them interested in what they read.
Furthermore, foreign language pedagogy is progressively focused on the functional use of lan-
guage, while teachers are looking for resources that represent more closely the language the learn-
ers would encounter outside the classroom (Buendgens-Kosten, 2014). Without a doubt, there is
a need for a provision of grammar practices, reading comprehension texts, and listening activities
in standard textbooks, but learners must be taught and have access to the same language used by
a native speaker, too (O’Donnell, 2009). According to Buendgens-Kosten (2014), despite overus-
ing inauthentic materials in numerous textbooks, it is authentic materials that genuinely enhances
reading skills and promotes diverse aspects of language learning.
Reading is one of the four key language teaching skills which plays a significant role in lan-
guage teaching program. Ewald (2007, p. 60) elucidates the purpose of reading as “different things
for different people, for some it understands written words, while for others it is an opportunity
to teach grammar and practice speaking.” McNeil (2006, p. 28) defines reading as an “enjoyable
task” that can offer the reader satisfaction. In addition, the term “authentic reading” is being
more increasingly utilized in language education than ever before. According to Min and Hsu
(2008, p. 34), authentic means “absolute, true, and valid.” Berardo (2006, p. 63) refers to authenti-
city as “ … interactions between readers and a text rather than the text itself. Learning is per-
ceived to be an ongoing experience, transcending beyond the physical context of a text, and
finding significance as well as knowledge processing.” According to Berardo (2006), non-authentic
texts are created for the purpose of language learning.
On the other hand, motivation and anxiety, among other things, have been reported to have
major effects on foreign language reading comprehension (Etemadfar et al., 2019; Saito et al.,
1999). In a broad perspective, motivation is a multifaceted construct that entails integrative and
instrumental sources of achieving educational goals. Anxiety on the other hand could be catego-
rized into state, trait, and situational types. Motivation leads the learners to become engaged in
learning activities. Considering the role of motivation in second language reading comprehension,
Buendgens-Kosten (2014) maintains that learners’ encouragement to read is an important
factor in improving their reading the comprehension ability. Reading and comprehending the
texts easily and efficiently are an integral part of language leaning. Due to its important role in
second-language learning, effective treatment of reading comprehension has received considerable
attention in the field (Seymour & Walsh, 2006). Thus, to better understand written texts, all EFL
learners are required to develop their motivation to read which is consistent with Seymour and
Walsh (2006) who believe that motivation influences learners’ reading comprehension behaviors.
In a similar vein, Rosenfield et al. (2001) and Wang (2008) found that reading motivation can
help foreign language learners better understand written texts.
Reading comprehension, according to Van Dijk and Kintsch (1983) and Pourhosein Gilakjani
and Sabouri (2016), is the process of extracting meanings from a text by understanding it rather
than acquiring meanings from individual sentences or words. Ahmadi and Gilakjani (2012)
viewed reading comprehension as a pillar of language learning to significantly improve EFL learn-
ers’ language proficiency. According to Wigfield and Guthrie (1997), reading motivation refers to
the huge amount of motivation that should be considered by learners when interpreting their
 THE IMPACT OF AUTHENTIC MATERIALS 3

positive or negative attitudes toward reading. For instance, learners who read for pleasure
are highly motivated readers and participate in strategies to support their understanding. These
learners typically find reading to be an important element in their everyday lives, take on chal-
lenges in the course of reading, and are likely to be more successful students (Guthrie &
Wigfield, 2000).
According to Pachtman and Wilson (2006), providing learners with opportunities to select
materials of interest is crucial for their reading inspiration. In fact, allowing the learners to select
reading materials helps them learn more by finding reading a pleasurable experience. Hairul et al.
(2012) defined reading motivation as the great deal of encouragement required by students to
focus on their negative or positive perceptions. Learners at the beginner level who read for pleas-
ure are found to be highly motivated readers (Bakhshizadeh Gashti, 2018). Namaziandost and
Çakmak (2020) in a study found that the EFL learners’ desire to learn had a great effect on
understanding reading texts. The researchers continued that under various circumstances, reading
motivation affects all dimensions of motivation and reading comprehension strategy use. They
also stressed that the encouragement of students has an absolute impact on their reading. This
implies that learners with a stronger reading motivation will be expected to learn more across a
wider spectrum. In other words, the higher their reading motivation, the higher their learning
ability would be. According to Hairul et al. (2012), reading motivation is one of the most crucial
factors that encourages learners to read more, and it has a major effect on understand-
ing reading.
Another important factor which may affect the reading skill is anxiety. Anxiety, which is asso-
ciated with irritation, apprehension, and worry, plays a key role in language learning (Asif, 2017).
Scovel (1978), building on the distinction made by Alpert and Haber (1960) between "facilitative"
and “debilitative” anxiety, argues that the former motivates learners to make more attempts to
resolve their anxiety. Debilitative anxiety makes the learner avoid learning tasks to evade the
source of anxiety. Investigating the impact of facilitative anxiety in language learning, Yahya
(2013) found that promoting anxiety is fundamental to effective language learning. Among the
cognitive, physiological, and behavioral dimensions of anxiety proposed by Vasa and Pine (2004)
as its three fundamental interrelated dimensions, the cognitive dimension has recently gained
popularity. According to Alpert and Haber (1960), anxiety can either facilitate in a sense that it
exerts positive or detrimental impacts on learning and performance. In contrast to facilitative
anxiety that encourages students to fight with new learning challenges (Scovel, 1978), debilitating
anxiety urges them to take an avoidance position (Eysenck, 1979; Namaziandost et al., 2020;
Scovel, 1978).
The reading performance variance in foreign language learning can be explained by factors
such as anxiety (Clavel-Arroitia & Fuster-Marquez, 2014; Shirzadi, Akhgar, Rooholamin, &
Shafiee, 2017). Foreign language reading anxiety (FLRA) is a kind of distress that readers feel
while reading texts in a foreign language (Saito et al., 1999). It is “the feeling of apprehension
and worry when learners have to read in a non-native language” (Rajab et al., 2012, p. 363).
According to Markham and Darke (1991), anxiety increases the demand on working memory by
interfering with verbal tasks such as reading comprehension. Eysenck (1982) found difficult cog-
nitive tasks to be related to anxiety-associated performance issues. Evaluating the reading compre-
hension of a foreign language, Leigh and Clark (2018) found participants with self-reported high
anxiety levels to be able to remember significantly less information compared to those with low
anxiety levels. Moreover, the learners with high levels of anxiety experienced more off-task and
distracting thoughts, which further disrupted their reading comprehension. A large body of litera-
ture therefore suggests the detrimental effects of anxiety on learning, especially reading compre-
hension. Some scholars (Dialami, 2013; Guimba & Alico, 2015; Jafarigohar & Behrooznia, 2012)
4 E. NAMAZIANDOST ET AL.

reported that an important negative relationship existed among EFL learners between FLRA and
reading comprehension. Furthermore, Salehi and Marefat (2014) and Zhao (2009) reported the
negative impacts of anxiety on reading ability among foreign language learners. In contrast, some
researchers reported no significant connection between foreign language reading anxiety and suc-
cess in reading (e.g., Clavel-Arroitia & Fuster-Marquez, 2014; Mills et al., 2006; Namaziandost
et al., 2019). However, Mills et al. (2006) reported the non-significant effect of reading anxiety on
EFL learners’ reading comprehension. Such inconclusive findings in terms of the relationships
among reading anxiety, reading motivation and comprehension can be partly due to differences
in the type of the materials read.
Baleghizadeh (2010) conducted a research to compare three groups of learners’ reading compre-
hension ability under three conditions: simplified condition (SC), negotiated condition (NC), and
unmodified condition (UC) without any intervention. The findings indicated that the students in both
SC (specified by lexical and syntactic simplification) and NC groups significantly performed better
than their counterparts in the UC group (with no linguistic adjustments but with opportunities for
interaction with the teacher) on the reading comprehension. Furthermore, participants in the NC
group outperformed the participants in the UC group. This showed that negotiation of meaning tech-
niques improve reading comprehension more than linguistic properties do.
Moreover, Marzban and Davaji (2015) investigated the impact of using authentic texts on
learners’ reading comprehension and motivation. Twenty-four learners participated in this
research. They were divided in two groups: authentic-and simplified group. The authentic group
received four online authentic texts with suitable readability. Simplified form of the texts was
used for simplified group. A questionnaire entitled motivation for reading questionnaire (MRQ)
involving 18 items about motivation was used to measure authentic groups’ motivation before
and after reading authentic texts. The results of this study indicated the positive effect of authen-
tic texts on learners’ reading comprehension. The findings of motivation questionnaire demon-
strated the positive changes on four areas of motivation.
In addition, Kim (2015) examined the impact of using video resources on improving learners’
listening comprehension. Eighty-six learners took part in the investigation. They were assigned to
three groups: 29 learners to the low- and intermediate group, and 28 learners to the advanced
group. All groups were instructed the same materials applying authentic video files. They received
instructions for 10 sessions over three weeks. The findings represented that in the intermediate
and advanced groups, learners’ listening skills increased significantly after the treatment. Listening
improvements among the intermediate and advanced groups were greater than those of the low
proficiency group.
Finally, Aftab and Salahuddin (2015) examined the impact of using authentic texts on students’
reading comprehension skill. A mixed methods design involving an experimental design and a
semi-structured questionnaire was used. One hundred and fifty-four learners participated in the
research. The results revealed that more proficient learners in the authentic text group obtained
significantly higher reading comprehension scores compared to the scores of those who received
traditional materials. The results of the questionnaire displayed that the learners were interested
in reading authentic texts and suggested that authentic texts can be used in language classrooms,
which result in developing more proficient readers.
This study aimed to investigate the impact of authentic materials on reading comprehension,
reading motivation, and reading anxiety among Iranian EFL learners. Considering the objectives
of the study, we formulated the following research questions:
RQ 1. Do authentic materials have any significant effects on Iranian EFL learners’ reading
comprehension ability?
RQ 2. Do authentic materials have any significant effects on Iranian EFL learners’ reading motivation?
RQ 3. Do authentic materials have any significant effects on Iranian EFL learners’ reading anxiety?
 THE IMPACT OF AUTHENTIC MATERIALS 5

Method
Participants
The participants of this study were 58 male students who were selected among 89 students from
a private English language institute. The researchers further administered the Oxford quick place-
ment test (OQPT) to choose a homogenized group in terms of the participants’ level of language
proficiency. The participants of the present investigation were intermediate language learners.
The participants were all male with an age range of 13–15 who were randomly divided into two
groups; a control group (CG: simplified materials) and an experimental group (EG: authen-
tic materials).

Instruments
The first instrument which was utilized in the present study to homogenize the participants was
a proficiency test. The OQPT was administrated among 89 students to determine their English
language proficiency (i.e., beginner, elementary, pre-intermediate, intermediate, and advanced).
Based on the students’ performance in this test, those whose scores were between 30 and 47 (out
of 60) were considered as the intermediate learners and were selected as the target participants of
the control and experimental groups.
This study used eight passages with 40 relevant multiple-choice items (Appendix 1) each with
one point to evaluate the students’ reading comprehension. The pretest was re-administered at
the end of the experiment as the posttest to determine the potential impact of the oral pre-read-
ing tasks on students’ reading comprehension. In fact, the same test was used twice in this study,
once as a pretest and once as a posttest instrument with the same number of items and duration
(70 min). The posttest was made different from the pretest by changing the order of alternatives,
questions, and passages to prevent the students from recalling the pretest answers and determine
their ability to select the correct choice after the treatment was given to them.
To evaluate the validity and reliability of the mentioned test, its content and face validity were
confirmed in terms of the content validity index (CVI) by 10 English teachers with more than
10 yrs of experiences in teaching EFL, who reviewed the test and left comments on the simplicity,
clarity, and the representativeness of the items. The test was accordingly modified and then
administered to a group in another institute whose course book and level were the same. The
pretest and posttest reliabilities were calculated using Cronbach Alpha. The estimated values were
0.794 and 0.806, respectively.
The third instrument was the MRQ. Wigfield and Guthrie (1997) questionnaire was developed
for students learning to read in their first language. In this study a translated version of MRQ
was used. To validate the translated questionnaire four steps were followed: Firstly, MRQ items
were translated from English into Farsi by the researchers and two other professionals. Secondly,
a translation expert translated the translated questionnaire back into English. Thirdly, the items
were piloted on a similar group. Finally, the reliability of the translated instrument was calculated
to be 0.819. This questionnaire included a five-point Likert type scale ranging from 1(strongly
disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).
The Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS) was the last instrument utilized in the
present study. This 20-items instrument with a score range of 20–100 was developed by Saito
et al. (1999) to determine anxiety levels in foreign language learners reading a text. The items are
scored on a five-point Likert scale, ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree,” with a
score of five denoting the highest anxiety level and one the lowest. The present study used a
modified version of the FLRAS, which was adapted to the Iranian context by Shariati and
Bordbar (2009) by changing its wording. To enhance the accuracy and quality of the FLRAS, this
tool was translated into Persian by two independent translators. Back-translation was used to
6 E. NAMAZIANDOST ET AL.

validate this translated version. Saito et al. (1999) and Zhao (2009) confirmed the internal consist-
ency of the FLRAS by calculating a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.98 and 0.83, respectively. Like the
MRQ, the validation process for FLAS was checked through a pilot study. The present research
calculated a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.91 for the FLRAS. FLRAS was given to both experimental-
and control groups before and after the treatment.

Procedures
In line with the goals of the study, first 58 male learners out of 89 from a private English lan-
guage institute in Ahvaz were chosen through an assessment of OQPT. The selected participants
were divided into two groups: control (n ¼ 29) and experimental (n ¼ 29). Both groups were
under the instruction in 20 sessions, for 10 weeks, twice a week and 70 min per session. Then, a
valid and reliable researcher-made pretest and the motivation for reading questionnaire were
administered to both groups. In fact, at the beginning of the study, the pretest was administered
in both groups to check them in terms of the variables of interest in the study. Moreover, the
FLRAS was administered to the experimental and control groups before the treatment to check
the impact of authentic materials on reading anxiety. All the students in simplified and authentic
groups studied artificial texts of their course-books during the course. A collection of 20 online
authentic texts derived from the internet (Appendix 2) was presented to EG group to measure
the influence of authentic materials on reading comprehension. The CG participants received
simplified versions of the texts. In fact, 20 authentic online texts, primarily written for children,
were derived from eight websites (www.firstcareers.co.uk, www.firstnews.co.uk, www.kidsnews.
com, www.newsforkids.net, www.dogonews.com, www.twinkl.co.uk, www.theday.co.uk, and www.
spacescoop.org). The exact titles of texts derived from websites are included in Appendix 2. It is
worth mentioning that all the above-mentioned websites provide age-appropriate content such as
news and stories for children with an international scope. The scope and description of the web-
sites in terms of their audiences are presented in Appendix 2. We applied a number of criteria
for selection of the texts: (1) The calibration of authentic texts to the interest of the students
(Gilmore, 2007; Tomlinson & Masuhara, 2010). Topics included games, technology, animals,
Halloween, space, robots, etc. (2) Relevance to students’ lives and experiences (O’Donnell, 2009).
(3) Level adaptation (Hwang, 2005; Maingay, 1980). (4) Distinctive layout with clear paragraphing
and relevant pictures to enhance text accessibility and to aid in the comprehension of the text
(Maingay, 1980). Moreover, Nuttall’s (1996) criteria for selection of authentic material were used
in this study. Nuttall’s criteria include three main features: sustainability of content, exploitability,
and readability. Sustainability of content refers to calibration of the selected text to the learners’
interest, needs, and use of the text in real situation outside the classroom. Exploitability pertains
to the applicability of the text in terms of its intended purposes as well as the strategies or skills
that a text intends to teach. Finally, readability refers to text difficulty with reference to the struc-
tural and lexical complexities.
The authentic group members received authentic texts and the simplified group received
inauthentic and simplified forms of the authentic texts which were lexically and syntactically sim-
plified and differed from the authentic texts in their topics. The authentic group was provided
with an authentic text in each session. The students were given a warm-up and received back-
ground knowledge from the teacher before beginning to read. Afterwards, the students and
teacher exchanged ideas about the texts in the classroom (Coskun, 2015). In addition, the simpli-
fied texts were provided for the simplified group during the course. It should be mentioned that
the readability of the texts, topic interest, and the differences between authentic and simplified
texts were checked using Oh’s (2001) guidelines. The simplification criteria were based on the
guidelines proposed by Oh (2001). Accordingly, the following simplification techniques were
employed: (a) use of short utterances, simple syntax, and simplified lexicon, (b) elimination of
 THE IMPACT OF AUTHENTIC MATERIALS 7

Table 1. Normality test for variables of the study.

Kolmogorov–Smirnov
D df Sig.
EG. Reading comprehension pretest 0.191 29 0.078
EG. Reading comprehension posttest 0.204 29 0.093
CG. Reading comprehension pretest 0.155 29 0.074
CG. Reading comprehension posttest 0.202 29 0.084
EG. MRQ. Pretest 0.264 29 0.121
EG. MRQ. Posttest 0.143 29 0.134
CG. MRQ. Pretest 0.264 29 0.123
CG. MRQ. Posttest 0.234 29 0.098
EG. FLRAS. Pretest 0.254 29 0.088
EG. FLRA. Posttest 0.185 29 0.073

excessive morphological inflections, and (c) use of simple word order. Moreover, idiomatic
expressions and complex structures were paraphrased into simple statements (O’Donnell, 2009).
The reading comprehension posttest was ultimately administered for both groups. Before and
after reading the authentic texts, the authentic group completed the MRQ within half an hour to
measure the effect of the authentic texts on their motivation. The experimental and control
groups also completed the FLRAS at the end of the instruction to determine the effect of the
authentic materials on their anxiety levels.

Data analysis
Statistical package for Social Science (SPSS, Chicago, IL software version 25) was used to analyze
the data. First, to verify the normality distribution, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was run.
Second, descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were computed. To analyze the
outcomes, one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and paired sample t-tests were performed.
In addition, the learners’ responses to the questionnaire were also analyzed.

Results and discussion

Having gathered the required data, first, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test of normality was run to inves-
tigate the normality assumption (Table 1).
The p values in Table 1 specify whether the distributions were normal. A p value higher than
0.05 demonstrates a normal distribution. Conversely, a p value less than 0.05 is indicative of a
non-normal distribution. Since all the p values in Table 1 were greater than 0.05, it could be
inferred that there were no violations of normality assumption regarding the participants’ scores
on the instruments in the pre- and posttest assessments.
Firstly, to ensure homogeneity of groups’ scores on reading comprehension, motivation, and
anxiety before the treatment, three independent samples t-tests were run on students’ scores on
pretest assessments of the instruments (Table 2).
Table 2 shows that the EG learners’ mean score on the reading comprehension, reading motiv-
ation, and reading anxiety were 12.29, 38.96, and 58and the CG learners’ mean scores were 12.06,
37.24, and 57.68, respectively. The results indicated no statistically significant difference between
two groups of CG and EG with respect to their pretest scores on reading comprehension, t (56)
¼ 0.984, p > 0.05, reading motivation t (56) ¼ 1.97, p > 0.05, r ¼ 0.23, and reading anxiety, t (56)
¼ 1.02, p > 0.05, r ¼ 0.14. Hence, it could be inferred that the learners in the two groups were at
the same level in reading comprehension, reading motivation, and reading anxiety.
Concerning the first question of the study, a one-way ANCOVA was launched to investigate the
effect of authentic texts on EG and CG learners’ reading comprehension. The independent variable
8 E. NAMAZIANDOST ET AL.

Table 2. Results of independent sample t-tests comparing the reading comprehension (RC), motivation, and anxiety pretests
of experimental group (EG) and control group (CG).
Standard Standar
Groups N M deviation error mean t df p Value
RC petest EG 29 12.29 0.94 0.17 0.984 56 0.329
CG 29 12.06 0.78 0.14
Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale pretest EG 29 58.00 1.76 0.32 1.02 56 0.234
CG 29 57.68 1.82 0.39
Motivation for reading questionnaire pretest EG 29 38.96 2.47 0.45 1.97 56 0.078
CG 29 37.24 2.69 0.50

Table 3. Descriptive statistics of experimental group (EG) and control group (CG)
learners’ scores on posttest reading comprehension test.
Groups M SD N
EG 16.25 0.63 29
CG 12.60 1.02 29
Total 14.43 2.02 58

Table 4. Results of one-way ANCOVA for the experimental group (EG) and control group (CG) learners’ scores on reading com-
prehension posttest.a
Source Type III sum of squares df Mean square F p value Partial g2
Corrected model 195.93 2 97.969 138.92 0.000 0.835
Intercept 83.79 1 83.799 118.827 0.000 0.684
Reading comprehension pretest 2.21 1 2.213 3.138 0.082 0.054
Groups 195.82 1 195.822 277.677 0.000 0.835
Error 38.78 55 0.705
Total 12313.50 58
Corrected total 234.72 57
R ¼ 0.835 (adjusted R2 ¼ 0.829).
a 2

was group (EG and CG), the dependent variable was scores on the reading comprehension posttest.
The scores on pretest reading comprehension were used as the covariate to control for any individual
differences in reading comprehension ability. The descriptive statistics of the variables are presented in
Table 3.
Before conducting the ANCOVA, assumptions of normality (Table 1), linearity, homogeneity
of variances (Levene’s test, p ¼ 0.432) as well as independence of the covariate and treatment
effect (pretest covariate: F (1, 29) ¼ 1.24, p > 0.05, g2 ¼ 0.01), and homogeneity of regression
slopes were investigated. The results did not indicate any violations of the assumptions. The
ANCOVA results are presented in Table 4.
The results indicated that the covariate, reading comprehension pretest, was not significantly
related to participants’ scores on the dependent variable, F (1, 58) ¼ 3.13, p > 0.05, partial g2 ¼
0.05. However, there was a statistically significant group effect on students’ reading comprehen-
sion post-test scores, F (1, 58) ¼ 277.67, p < 0.001, partial g2 ¼ 0.83. Accordingly, 83% of the
variability of EG and CG learners’ scores on posttest reading comprehension test can be attrib-
uted to the treatment (i.e., employing authentic materials). As indicated in Table 3, EG learners’
posttest mean score (M ¼ 16.25) was significantly higher than the posttest mean score of the CG
learners (M ¼ 12.60). In sum, the results indicate that utilizing authentic materials could signifi-
cantly promote students’ reading comprehension ability.
Like the first question of this research, the second research question was associated with deter-
mining the potentially significant impact of employing authentic materials on Iranian EFL learn-
ers’ reading motivation. Therefore, a one-way ANCOVA was run to compare the EG and CG
learners’ reading motivation posttest scores.
 THE IMPACT OF AUTHENTIC MATERIALS 9

Table 5. Descriptive statistics of experimental group (EG) and control group (CG) learn-
ers’ reading motivation posttest scores.
Groups M SD N
EG 55.72 8.04 29
CG 39.62 5.52 29
Total 47.67 10.62 58

Table 6. Results of one-way ANCOVA for the experimental group (EG) and control group (CG) learners’ reading motivation
posttest scores.a
Source Type III sum of squares df Mean square F p Value Partial g2
Corrected model 4064.71 2 2032.35 47.28 0.000 0.632
Intercept 1727.55 1 1727.55 40.19 0.000 0.422
Motivation for reading questionnaire pretest 304.55 1 304.55 7.08 0.089 0.000
Groups 4054.59 1 4054.59 94.33 0.000 0.632
Error 2364.06 55 42.98
Total 138243.00 58
Corrected total 6428.77 57
R ¼ 0.632 (adjusted R2 ¼ 0.619).
a 2

Table 7. Results of paired-samples t-test comparing CG and EG learner’s FLRAS pretest and posttest scores.
M N SD Std. error mean t df Sig.
EG. FLRAS. Posttest 34.24 29 6.96 1.29 19.68 28 .000
EG. FLRAS. Pretest 58.00 29 1.76 .32
CG. FLRAS. Posttest 55.45 29 2.01 .47 1.93 28 .087
CG. FLRAS. Pretest 57.68 29 1.82 .39

Prior to the ANCOVA analyses, the assumptions of normality, linearity, homogeneity of var-
iances and regression slopes were scrutinized. The results did not show any violations of the
assumptions. The independent variable was reading motivations posttest scores, the independent
variable was group (EG and CD). Finally, the students’ scores on MRQ in the pretest assessment
were entered as the covariate. The results are indicated in Table 6.
The results indicated that the covariate, MRQ pretest, was not significantly related to partici-
pants’ scores on the dependent variable, F (1, 58) ¼ 7.08, p > 0.05, g2 ¼ 0.03. However, there was
a statistically significant group effect concerning the students’ reading motivation posttest scores,
F (1, 58) ¼ 94.33, p < 0.001, partial g2 ¼ 0.63. Accordingly, 63%of the variability of EG and CG
learners’ scores on post-test reading motivation can be attributed to the treatment (i.e., employing
authentic materials). As indicated in Table 5, EG learners’ posttest mean score (M ¼ 55.72) was
significantly higher than the posttest mean score of the CG learners (M ¼ 39.62). In sum, the
results indicate that utilizing authentic materials could significantly promote students’ read-
ing motivation.
To investigate the third research question of the study regarding the effect of using authen-
tic texts on students’ reading anxiety, the CG and EG participants’ pre- and posttest reading
anxiety scores were compared using a paired-samples t-test. The results are presented in
Table 7.
The results indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between EG students’
scores on pre- and posttest assessments of FLRAS, t (28) ¼ 19.68, p < 0.001, r ¼ 0.76. The analy-
ses of the EG learners’ mean scores on pretest (M ¼ 58) and posttest (M ¼ 34.24) reading anxiety
suggested significant improvements in learner’s reading anxiety in the experimental group. In the
CG participants, there was not a statistically significant difference between their pre- and posttest
scores on FLRAS, t (28) ¼ 1.93, p > 0.05, r ¼ 0.12.
10 E. NAMAZIANDOST ET AL.

In sum, the results of the present study suggest that the use of authentic materials makes sig-
nificant improvements in reading comprehension, reading motivation, and reading anxiety. These
findings are consistent with the results of experimental studies suggesting improvements in learn-
ing English because of utilizing authentic materials. Belet Boyacı and G€ uner (2018) compared the
effect of authentic materials with that of conventional materials on the reading skills and motiv-
ation of upper-intermediate EFL learners in Turkey. The results of the interviews, questionnaires,
and observations demonstrated that the lessons designed based on authentic materials and activ-
ities were interesting for learners and boosted their motivation. Similarly, emphasizing the key
role of authentic materials, Marzban and Davaji (2015) found the effect of these materials on
enhancing the sensitivity and competency of the learners.
It can be claimed that the authentic-based materials utilized in teaching reading in our context
were beneficial in the authentic group, as revealed by the findings obtained in this study. The
authentic reading comprehension passages were interesting for the language learners. During the
experimentation, the authors observed that the language learners were found to be interested in
reading authentic passages, as their motivation to read about new topics and favorite subjects
increased after reading authentic texts. The readers’ motivation increased to the extent that they
were willing to share their acquired knowledge with other people after reading the texts. In fact,
reading focused on the content with which the readers interacted rather than the linguistic
aspects of the text. Last but not least, group working in the authentic group also encouraged the
language learners to exchange ideas and thereby improve their reading comprehending
(Khoshbakht & Gorjian, 2017).
Kim (2000) recommended the use of authentic materials only at intermediate and advanced
levels. In contrast, it was recommended that authentic materials be used at all levels of learning,
including low levels (Miller, 2005). In addition, Badri and Salehi (2017) recommended the use of
authentic materials at the post-intermediate level, given that the majority of students at this level
know all the structures and have an extended range of vocabulary in the target language. On the
other hand, they warned against the use of these materials at lower levels to prevent the students
from feeling disappointed or demotivated owing to a lack of proficiency in lexical terms and
complex structures in the target language. Moreover, the use of authentic materials is a challenge
for the teachers teaching at the beginner level, because it takes a lot of time and energy to prepare
such materials (Miller, 2005).
In line with the present results, the findings of a study by Baleghizadeh (2010) recruiting 90
Iranian students in three groups, namely un-simplified texts, simplified texts, and un-simplified
texts through interactions with the teacher, suggested that reading through a negotiation process
in which the students asked questions about difficult texts and words significantly outperformed
the methods used in the other groups, even the simplified text group. Interacting with the teacher
was found more effective than linguistic simplicity alone. Using authentic materials was justified
in case they were coupled with the facilitation provided by the teacher, as student-teacher interac-
tions and teacher facilitation could solve linguistic complexities that interfered with
comprehension.
Moreover, congruent with the present findings to some extent, a study by Aftab and
Salahuddin (2015) on the advantage of authentic texts compared to conventional passages for
grade VI–VII Asian ESL students showed that using inauthentic reading texts could not improve
their reading comprehension ability, especially in high achievers and average learners studying in
private schools. It was therefore recommended that authentic reading materials be incorporated,
at least to some extent, into second language programs.
In addition, consistent with the results of the current study, a study by Barekat and Nobakhti
(2014) showed significant differences between authentic and inauthentic materials on improving
different dimensions of learning a second language. In fact, employing authentic materials was
found to improve learning skills in L2 learners more significantly.
 THE IMPACT OF AUTHENTIC MATERIALS 11

Given teaching reading as an essential English skill in Iran where learning English as a second
language is a must, it is recommended that authentic materials be substituted for inauthentic
ones to ensure the involvement of learners in the reading process. In addition, language teachers
are required to select comprehensible materials of appropriate levels to improve reading compre-
hension and performance of learners. Given that students may feel frustrated in the face of diffi-
cult incomprehensible reading materials, teachers should employ topics and authentic reading
materials that are interesting for the students.
It is thoroughly recommended that instructors and teachers resolve undue anxiety in language
learners and establish a relaxing, stressfree, and safe atmosphere in the classroom to counteract
the debilitative and negative impacts of anxiety on the four skills, especially reading comprehen-
sion, and help students feel safe, motivated, interested, and happy enough to learn and internalize
the learning materials and ultimately realize their learning objectives. Teachers therefore play a
major role in managing and alleviating anxiety of their students. It is recommended that they
facilitate the language learning by providing students with a friendly and supportive environment,
apply interesting teaching approaches, and utilize interesting themes and topics in connection to
the everyday life and interests of learners. Similarly, Rogers (1989, p. 99) proposes that “much of
what is called learning … involves little feeling of personal meaning, and has insufficient rele-
vance for the whole person, with a resulting lack of interest.”
In a nutshell, instructors, students, and program developers should pay careful attention to
foreign language anxiety by holding workshops and presentations on this type of anxiety and pro-
posing diverse methods to decrease anxiety in classrooms. According to Young (1999), assisting
students in dealing with and overcoming their anxiety is the only way of training students to
become better language learners.

Conclusion
A large body of literature supports the use of authentic materials in teaching languages. These
materials appear effective in motivating learners, arousing their interest, and exposing them to
the actual language they are to face in the real world. Furthermore, these materials trigger the
success of students in learning a foreign language by exposing them to real-world language. Badri
and Salehi (2017) believe that using authentic materials can encourage learners to learn a lan-
guage by establishing their feeling of learning an actual language. Baleghizadeh (2010) also found
that increasing learners’ motivation and reflecting positively upon their learning process is a
major advantage of utilizing authentic materials. In contrast, part of literature advises against
using authentic materials in classrooms owing to the extreme cultural bias in these materials and
their complicated structures and words, which can frustrate the learners; nevertheless, given the
numerous benefits of authentic materials compared to their disadvantages in teaching languages
to ESL/EFL learners, it is recommended that authentic materials be used in EFL classrooms to
enrich the learning process. This perspective is supported by some researchers including
Kilickaya (2004), Ghaderpanahi (2012), and Habouti et al. (2015).
Investigating the impact of authentic materials, the present study showed how male learners
could improve their reading comprehension and reading motivation and alleviate their reading
anxiety. The present study intends to encourage teachers into employing innovative techniques to
help learners improve their learning. Teachers can plan for novel versions of teaching reading
comprehension to their learners. These teachers can successfully help their learners improve their
speaking and reading skills. According to Ahangari et al. (2015), being exposed to adequate
amounts of authentic materials can assist learners in improving their reading skills. The present
findings are beneficial for students and can help them become motivated when experiencing lan-
guage in a realistic lively manner. Given that acquiring knowledge of the culture is crucial for
learning a language, the proposed technique in this study can help students enhance their
12 E. NAMAZIANDOST ET AL.

intercultural communicative competence and familiarize themselves with the culture of the target
language through use of real texts written for real audience (Hamlet, 2009). With a key role in
teaching a foreign language, authentic materials appear to be effective in improving reading flu-
ency and reading ability.
The findings of the present investigation should be interpreted with the existing limitations of
the study. In the present study, the number of the participants was limited only to 58 male stu-
dents. Therefore, generalizations of the findings should be treated cautiously. Moreover, the pre-
sent study included only a single level of English students, the intermediate level. Generalizing
the findings to other levels is therefore not plausible. In addition, since this study included only
males, the obtained results cannot be generalizable to females. The present findings cannot be
generalized to age groups other than 13–15 years old given that this group was the only investi-
gated age group. All these limitations call for carrying out further research on the use of authen-
tic texts in EFL classes. We believe research in this area presents a promising avenue for better
understanding of effective language learning.

ORCID
Ehsan Namaziandost http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8393-2537
Mohammad Hasan Razmi http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0891-8831

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Appendix 1.
Reading comprehension test (pre- and posttest)
Eight passages (40 items)
Please read the following passages and choose the correct answers on the answer sheet provided.
Passage 1
It is 7 o’clock in the afternoon. The children are in the park now. They’re playing. Ted’s morn shouts “Watch
out!”, but it is late. Ted falls down. His legs hurt. His knees and feet hurt, too. His mom is worried. She takes Ted
to the near clinic. The doctor isn’t there. Ms. Lee asks "When does the doctor come?" the nurse says "tomorrow
morning". She takes Ted to a hospital. The nurse writes down his name - first and last name - and his address.
Everyone is sad. Annie telephones Ted. She goes to visit Ted at home.
1. Where does Ted’s mother take him when he falls down?
a) to the park b) home c) lo the clinic d) to the hospital
2. Who writes down Ted’s name?
a) Ted b) Ms. Lee c) The doctor d) The nurse
3. Do Ted’s knees hurt?
a) Yes, his knees hurt. b) No, his knees don’t hurt.
c) Yes, and his arm hurts, too. d) No, his hands hurt.
4. What does Ms. Lee shout?
a) "Don’t shout!" b) "Don’t play!" c) "Go out!" d) "Watch out!"
5. Where does Ted go after the hospital?
To the … .. . .
a) park b) clinic c) store d) house

Passage 2
Pam’s grandmother lives in Oakville. Oakville is a small town near New York. It’s a very nice place. There are
many trees and small rivers around this town. People have picnics by the rivers. Every Sunday Pam and her
brother, Peter, go there by train. They like their grandmother. They play games, fly kites and eat grandma’s choc-
olate cake. But Pam feels sick this Sunday. She has to be in bed and take medicine. Yesterday their mother called
grandma and told her about this. But Peter has his ticket and he is getting ready to leave. He says goodbye to Pam
and his mother and opens the door. "Oh! Grandma is here, Pam." He shouts and laughs.
6. Which sentence is WRONG?
a) Oakville is near New York. b) Pam and Peter visit their grandmother every Sunday.
c) Pam and Peter live in Oakville. d) There are many rivers around Oakville.
7. Where do people have picnic?
a) Around Oakville. b) In the rivers. c) Next to grandma’s house. d) In New York.
8. Which sentence is RIGHT?
a) Pam was sick last Sunday.
b) Grandma makes good chocolate cake.
c) Pam and Peter are going to visit grandma this Sunday.
d) Grandma visits Pam’s family every Sunday in New York.
9. Why does Peter shout?
a) He is happy to leave home. b) He wants to visit grandma.
c) He has some chocolate cake. d) He sees grandma at the door.
10. Which sentence is WRONG about Peter?
a) He has a train ticket to Oakville.
b) He likes his grandmother.
c) He called grandma yesterday and talked about Pam.
d) He visits grandma every Sunday in Oakville.

Passage 3
Ice hockey is a very fast game - sometimes players go 50 kilometers an hour on the ice! Every team has six
players. They play ice hockey on a "rink" and they have to use the "sticks" to shoot the "puck" into the goal. The
16 E. NAMAZIANDOST ET AL.

two teams play for 60 minutes. Sometimes the players have to leave the rink and go to the "penalty box" because
of not playing well.
11. A rink is a place where … … … … … … … … .
a) players wait to play b) players sit
c) players play ice hockey d) they go because of not playing well
12. There are … … … … … … … .players in every game.
a) 6 b) 9 c) 12 d) 14
13. Players have … … … … … … … … … minutes to finish the game.
a) 20 b) 40 c) 60 d) 80
14. Some players go to the "penalty box" because … … … … … … … … … … … . .
a) they play fast b) they feel tired
c) they can’t play well d) they can’t shoot the puck
15. Ice hockey is a … … … … … … … … … .game.
a) fast b) slow c) warm d) cold

Passage 4
Our world, the planet Earth, moves around the Sun. But it is just one of the nine planets that do this.
Sometimes you can see them in the sky at night. The sun, the nine planets, the moon, and some small rocks and
pieces that travel in space are together called the Solar System. The nearest planet to the sun is Mercury. It looks
like the moon. You can see Venus, the second planet, shining in the early morning sky. After Earth comes Mars,
the "red planet". Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are very large planets. Saturn has rings around it. On Pluto,
the sun looks like just any other shining star in the sky.
17. The Earth … … … … … … … … … … … .
a) is the nearest planet to the Sun
c) one of the planets in the Solar System
b) moves around another planet
d) is so far from the sun
18. We can see Venus in the sky … … … … … … … … … .
a) late at night b) in the evening
c) in the afternoon d) early in the morning
19. On Pluto, the sun looks like … … … … … … … … … … … … .
a) any other shining star b) a shining planet c) Saturn d) the moon
19. … … … … … … … … … … … is the "red planet".
a) Mercury b) Pluto c) Uranus d) Mars
20. Which one of the following planets is not large?
a) Venus b) Jupiter c) Neptune d) Saturn

Passage 5
Jaya Rajah is fourteen, but he doesn’t go to school. He studies medicine at New York university in a class of
twenty-year-olds. Jaya was born in Madras in India but now lives in a house in New York with his mother, father,
and brother. They can all speak English very well. His father is a doctor. Jaya was different from a very young age.
He could count before he could say ’Mummy’ or ’Daddy’. He could answer questions on math when he was five.
Now he studies from 8:15 to 4:00 every day at the university. Then he studies at home with his father from 6:30 to
10:00 every evening. Jaya doesn’t have any friends. He never goes out in the evenings, but he sometimes watches
TV. He says, "I live for one thing - I want to be a doctor before I am seventeen. Other children of my age are bor-
ing. They can’t understand me."
21. When did Jaya learn to count?
a) Before starting to speak. b) At a very young age.
c) After taking some classes. d) At the age of five.
22. Why doesn’t Jaya have any friends?
a) Because his classmates are older than him.
b) Because other children don’t like Jaya.
c) Because he doesn’t like to go out with anyone.
d) Because he thinks other children don’t understand him.
23. How long does he study every day?
a) About 12 hours. b) About 8 hours.
c) From 8:15 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. d) From 8:15 to 4:00.
24. What does he do in his free time?
a) He studies his lesson. b) He goes out by himself.
c) He watches TV. d) He helps his father.
 THE IMPACT OF AUTHENTIC MATERIALS 17

25. Which sentence is True?

a) Jaya is from a large Indian family.
b) He wants to be a doctor after he is seventeen.
c) He could answer all the math questions when he was five.
d) His family moved from India to the United States.

Passage 6
Louis Braille (1809) was the son of a French leather worker. He went blind at the age of three when he fell on
a tool in his father’s workshop. But Louis was a brave and smart boy. He wanted to be a musician, so he learned
to play the cello, and at the age of ten he won the money for studying at the National Institute for Blind Children
in Paris. He could play the cello, but he couldn’t read or write. In 1819 a French soldier, Charles Barbier, invented
’night writing’. The soldiers used it to read in the dark. Louis Braille understood the importance of this invention
for blind people and when he was fifteen, he began to develop it. He made it simpler and in 1829 he introduced it
at the Institute. By 1932 ’Braille’ was in use all over the world in many languages, but unfortunately, he died of a
serious sickness in 1852 and never knew of the importance of his invention.
26. Louis Braille … … … … … … … … … … … … … … . .
a) was born blind in France
c) worked in his father’s workshop
b) learned to play the cello at the age of three
d) couldn’t read or write at the age often
27. Charles Barbier … … … … … … … … … … … … … … . .
a) knew the importance of his invention for blind people
b) invented ’night writing’ to help soldiers read better
c) had a useful invention for those who couldn’t see
d) helped Louise Braille make ’night reading’ simpler
28. Braille’s system of writing was famous all over the world … … … … … … … … … … … … . .
a) soon after he died in 1852
b) about 80 years after he died
d) while he was studying at the National Institute
c) when he was about 20 years old
29. Louis Braille was … … … … … … … … … years old when he died.
a)43 b)52 c)80 d) 76
30. In 1819, Louis Braille … … … … … … … … … … … … … .
a) teamed to play the cello b) began to develop a writing system
c) went to Paris for studying d) used to work with his father

Passage 7
Fishing is my favorite sport. I often fish for hours without catching anything. But this doesn’t worry me. Some
fishermen are unlucky. Instead of catching fish, they catch old boots and rubbish. I am even less lucky. I never
catch anything - not even old boots. After having spent whole mornings on the river, I always go home with an
empty bag. "You must give up fishing!" my friends say, "It’s a waste of time!" But they don’t realize one important
thing. I’m not interested in fishing. I’m only interested in sitting in a boat and doing nothing at all.
31. The man in the passage … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .
a) always catches boots and rubbish b) never catches anything
c) is going to give up fishing d) goes fishing with his lucky friends
32. He usually goes fishing … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .
a) in the afternoon b) with some fishermen
c) with his friends d) in the morning
33. His friends say … … … … … … … … … … … … … . .
a) he is unlucky b) he must go fishing everyday
c) he should give up fishing d) fishing is important
34. When he goes fishing, … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .
a) his friends are luckier than him b) his friends are very lucky
c) he catches a lot of fish d) he is as lucky as his friends
35. He goes fishing because … … … … … … … … … … … … … . .
a) he is a very good fisherman b) his friends want to teach him how to fish
c) he just wants to sit and do nothing d) he is very much interested in fishing
Passage 8
Nobody likes staying at home on holidays when the weather is fine. Last month we decided to spend the day
in the country. We moved out of the city slowly behind a long line of cars, but at last we came to a quiet country
18 E. NAMAZIANDOST ET AL.

road. After some time, we stopped at a farm. We had a lot of food and we got it out of our car. We sat at the foot
of a hill. It was really peaceful in the cool grass. Suddenly we heard bells ringing at the top of the hill. What we
saw made us pick up our things and run back to our car as fast as we could. There were about two hundred sheep
coming down right toward us!
36. They spent the holiday … … … … … … … … … … … … . .
a) in the country b) outside the country c) on a hill d) behind a line of cars
37. They … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … . .
a) don’t stay home on a nice and fine holiday
b) like driving on crowded roads on a holiday
c) didn’t leave the car because there were a lot of sheep
d) went to a foreign country for holiday last month
38. Going out on a nice day is not easy because … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … . .
a) there are a lot of sheep in the country
b) there are many people at the foot of the hills
c) a lot of other people may have the same idea
d) you have to drive your car fast to get to the hills
39. They didn’t stop for a Jong time because … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .
a) there were a Jot of bells ringing around them
b) they weren’t allowed to stay on the farm
c) they didn’t like watching a Jot of sheep there
d) they saw a big number of sheep rushing down
40. Which one would best explain the paragraph?
a) Going out on holidays b) A day in the country
c) How to drive on holidays d) Finding a good place

Appendix 2.
The index of authentic texts selected from websites

Website Description and scope Selected authentic texts

www.firstcareers.co.uk An online website Introducing jobs to young a. What is it like to be a Teacher?

people across the globe
www.firstnews.co.uk/ A free weekday news broadcast for
young people
www.kidsnews.com A news agency for children with an
international scope
www.newsforkids.net A website with daily current news written for
children. US-based but includes
worldwide stories
www.dogonews.com An online news site for children with stories
written from an international perspective
www.twinkl.co.uk An online website for kids publishing primary-
age-appropriate news stories and activities
every day
www.theday.co.uk An online news service for schools, aimed mainly
at the secondary age range reporting on daily
current affairs across all subjects
www.spacescoop.org An astronomy news website aimed at children
aged 8 and above with weekly stories from a
wide range of international astronomical
organizations
b. What does a Games Creator do?
c. What does a Den Builder do?
a. China reaches the moon
b. When does Japan Want to hunt Whales
c. Fantastic Mr. Fox
a. World Lego Honor for Aussie schoolboy
b. Young TV cook’s advice for kids in the kitchen
c. Plentiful water found on surface of Moon
a. Astronomer Finds Lost Satellite
b. France Fights Over Nutella
c. Using Computers & Robots to Help Farmers
a. Mask Up! It’s Time to Celebrate Halloween!
b. Meet Stan, The World’s Most Expensive
Tyrannosaurus Rex Fossil
c. Why Are Killer Whales Ramming Boats in Spain
And Portugal?
a. Digital Citizens
b. Most Expensive Sheep
c. Good Game
a. The runner who gave up his place for another
a. Planets Everywhere!