Authentic resources
In the environment of a foreign language classroom, an authentic resource (also known as an authentic material or realia) is something made by a native speaker for a native speaker. Examples include comic books, magazines, menus, the page of a newspaper, something edible… virtually anything made by a native speaker for a native speaker falls under the category of an authentic resource.
Using authentic resources in the classroom enables students to interact with an object that reflects the culture of a foreign country. As we know, while planning and teaching, it is imperative that we use the World Readiness Standards. The standards explicitly state that students must connect and contrast their own culture with those of foreign countries.
What better way to help a student interact with the culture of a foreign country than by bringing to the classroom something made in a foreign country?
While teaching Portuguese to my undergraduate students at the University of Washington, I had them read comic books made in Brazil. The comic books helped them learn common Brazilian Portuguese idiomatic expressions, such as tô de mal, while also having the chance to touch the pages of a magazine made in Brazil. As someone who fell in love with and learned English on his own while living in Brazil, there was nothing that delighted me more than touching and smelling the pages of American magazines printed in the United States. Unfortunately, these magazines were expensive and I could not afford buying many of them. Why would I, as a twenty first-century foreign language teacher, not facilitate my students’ access to an object, such as a magazine, that I wish I had had while learning English?
Realia can be used with students who are at any proficiency level. It all depends on how I plan, create, and develop my thematic unit. While teaching a class on families for students who are learning Portuguese and are at the novice level, for example, I can ask students to look at the cover of a Brazilian magazine with the picture of a family. From there, I can introduce vocabulary by asking questions, such as “quem é o pai?” and “quem é o filho?” while having students point at the father and at the son. This simple example demonstrates how a simple magazine cover with a picture can enhance a lesson by adding an extra layer of culture to it.