Authenticity in Movies

Abstract

The use of "authenticity" in teaching foreign languages has been accepted as an effective teaching method.  It is believed that such authentic texts provide learners with a language-rich environment and they play a key role in promoting communicative skills.  McGarry (1995) argues that authentic texts can enable learners to work independently of the teacher if used extensively and appropriately.  In other words, authentic texts are useful self-study materials.  McGarry calls this "leaner autonomy," which means that learners should take more responsibility of their own study of the foreign language than done otherwise before.  Taking consideration of the unique characteristics of the individual learner and the student-centered method of study, further research on this authenticity will be compared with these new trends in education. In this paper, therefore, one suggestion made is that movies are the best way to foster an authentic language-rich environment and to understand the relationship between language form and the communication function in an EFL setting like in Korea. In order to accomplish this, this paper will first clarify the definition of "authenticity."  Second, it will examine why authentic texts are useful in language acquisition.  Third, it will explain why contrived language texts are not appropriate materials in the development of communicative skills as defined in terms of authenticity.  And lastly, the following three questions about the use of movies will be discussed: why, what and how.