This presentation outlines an in-service training workshop for high-school teachers of English as a Foreign Language, accredited by the Japanese ministry of education. The workshop focused on the use of authentic materials to motivate students and attempted to gauge the participants’ existing ideas about authenticity in language teaching and examine how these fit with the way English is currently employed for international communication in the global context. I proposed during the workshop that authenticity be reconceptualised as a continuum, incorporating contextual and social dimensions. Participants were then asked to reflect on their concept of authenticity before and after the workshop to examine the impact of the proposed continuum. Data were collected from participants in the form of a written reaction to the workshop and questionnaire, as well as teacher/researchers’ observations and journal entries. Most of the data are qualitative, and the study design was based on exploratory practice, so data came from pedagogic sources from the workshop. The research attempted to involve all the participants in a way that encouraged them to reflect on their own practice. Although at times I present data in a way which quantifies the responses, the majority of data analysis was done in an interpretive way, coding the data as I went through it and then re-coding it as the bigger picture emerged. I used NVivo analysis software to create nodes and run word frequency queries as I worked through the data, which helped in selecting the major themes for the responses. From a total of 33 participants, 23 (almost 70 per cent) had culturally embedded definitions of authenticity, with 18 participants (over 50 per cent) specifically making reference to native speakers. Participants commented that the workshop had helped them to expand their ideas about authenticity, which for many was a motivating or empowering experience.

1. AUTHENTICITY IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT:
LEARNING, WORKING AND COMMUNICATING
WITH L2 TEACHERS OF ENGLISH
Richard Pinner
rpinner@sophia.ac.jp

2. Overview
Context and background
Definitions
Results and discussion
Conclusion

3. All about me…
Pinner, R. S. (2014). The
Authenticity Continuum:
Empowering international
voices. English Language
Teacher Education and
Development, 16(1).
Pinner, R. S. (forthcoming).
The Authenticity
Continuum: towards a
definition incorporating
international voices.
English Today.

4. Context
=

5. The course name is:
N= 33 (10 Osaka and 25 Tokyo, 2 opted out)
All High school and Junior High school
Japanese Teachers of English
Experience ranged from 10 years to 30 years

6. What is Authenticity?

7. What is authenticity?
Native
Real
Self
Classroom
Task
Culture
Assessment
Social
Gilmore, A. (2007).
Authentic materials and
authenticity in foreign
language learning.
Language Teaching, 40(02),
97-118

8. The Authenticity Continuum

9. Example
A:
3
Example
B:
2
Example
C:
The teacher brings an English language newspaper to class and has
students read the text and underline every instance of the present perfect
aspect or passive tense, and then asks them to copy each sentence out
into their notebooks.
The teacher uses an ‘inauthentic’ text from a published course book
which was contrived specifically to practise reported speech and then
discusses other ways in which the speakers from the text could have said
the same thing in a different way.
The teacher asks students to use the internet to research about their
favourite celebrity or hero and then create a short presentation in
English to the rest of the class about that person. 1

10. Report Question

11. Native-speaker Centric
Before this workshop I just thought that
‘authentic’ means ‘native’; using a newspaper in
English class is better than using a textbook. But
now, at the end of the workshop, I can talk more
about authenticity, giving my experiences today as
an example. (Momoko)
“

12. Native-speaker Centric
Before I took this lesson, I thought that the
authenticity should be “native”. I mean that the
material should be written by native speakers
(Kyoko)
“
Holliday, A. (2005). The struggle to teach
English as an international language.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Houghton, S. A., & Rivers, D. J. (2013).
Native-speakerism in Japan: Intergroup
dynamics in foreign language education
Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

13. Authenticity, Self and Efficacy
[...] I have felt negative about myself as a non-native
English speaker who teaches English. Now,
I don’t. Authenticity connects me not only to
English but also learning. (Momoko)
“

14. Authenticity, Self and Efficacy
My idea about authenticity has changed
dramatically by participating in this workshop.
Before I joined this workshop, my definition of
authenticity was the language material source
from native speakers. […]
“

15. Authenticity, Self and Efficacy
[…]Now, I have learned what really makes
material, lesson to be authentic is how we teacher
use it. (Aiko)
“

16. The Continuum
The authenticity continuum tells me how to
evaluate the authenticity of materials, and it’s
interesting. Before I participated in this workshop, I
believed that authentic materials were the English
statements use in the countries like UK or USA,
English native countries. However, when we
evaluated the authenticity of the Wall Street Journal
according to the continuum, its authenticity was not
high. […]
“

17. Authenticity, Self and Efficacy
Also, by comparing three examples of tasks, I
realised that I chose A, the task using an English
language newspaper, as the least authentic. I was
surprised at the result myself, and it was
interesting to know that most of the teachers here
had the same choice. […]
“

18. Authenticity, Self and Efficacy
This experience made me think it is important to
have several points of view, or factors, to assess
the authenticity of materials, and of course how to
use them. (Ai)
“

19. 2014 GROUP AND CURRENT RESEARCH

20. 10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Averages
British American Indian Singaporean Korean Geordie
Comprehensibility Authenticity

25. Conclusion and Summary
• Authenticity is still conceptualised from a Native-Speakerist
and culturally embedded perspective
• (Japanese) L2 teachers are vulnerable to efficacy issues around
authenticity
• The authenticity continuum helps to ‘shift the centre of gravity’
and empower other linguistic varieties

26. Summary
• You can download the slides and additional
resources at
www.uniliterate.com
• Please email me!
rpinner@sophia.ac.jp

27. Thanks for your attention!
Gilmore, A. (2007). Authentic materials and
authenticity in foreign language learning.
Language Teaching, 40(02), 97-118.
Holliday, A. (2005). The struggle to teach English
as an international language. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Houghton, S. A., & Rivers, D. J. (2013). Native-speakerism
in Japan: Intergroup dynamics in
foreign language education Bristol: Multilingual
Matters.
Pinner, R. S. (2014). The Authenticity Continuum:
Empowering international voices. English
Language Teacher Education and Development,
16(1).
Pinner, R. S. (forthcoming). The Authenticity
Continuum: towards a definition incorporating
international voices. English Today.