Adapting Authentic Materials for Language Teaching

 by Steven Darian  

Adapting original materials for language teaching is an incredibly subtle process half art, half science. Clearly, the kind and degree of adapting depends on the age and language level of the student. In an effort to simplify text, it is easy to slip into the error of talking down to the reader.

To illustrate the process of adapting, I have drawn on my experience in preparing an intermediate-level 300-page ESL text for business (Darian, in press). While such material seems far removed from the primary or secondary school classroom, the process is basically the same at all levels.

I抳e divided our discussion into four sections: (1) semantic elements, (2) lexical elements, (3) syntactic elements, and (4) discourse elements. In this short article, we can just touch on a few considerations in each area.

Semantic elements

One hidden problem in adapting materials is connotation. Native speakers don抰 usually think about the primary or secondary connotation of a word梩hey just use it. The problem arises when the language learner is confronted with a secondary connotation of a word and, at best may know that word in its primary meaning. Take this example: Do you know any jokes that illustrate other people抯 values? To the language learner, the primary connotation of illustrate would probably be "related to art and drawing." When adapting materials, ask yourself whether a word抯 primary connotation would obscure the secondary meaning. If so, substitute a clearer term. The example rewritten is: Do you know any jokes about other people抯 values?

Here is another example that illustrates the problem of primary and secondary connotation:

Orig

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