ELT J 2014 Clavel Arroitia 124 34
ELT J 2014 Clavel Arroitia 124 34
ELT J 2014 Clavel Arroitia 124 34
Introduction
124
The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved.
Authenticity
Research
on language
authenticity in
English textbooks
The aim of this research is to observe the extent to which authentic texts
are used by textbook writers at the B2 and C1 levels, to highlight some
features which inform their choices and, above all, to identify the nature
of the adaptations made by textbook writers. The linguistic and cultural
choices embodied in foreign language textbooks are central to the
teaching experience since, for a large number of L2 teachers, textbooks
are practically the only learning resource in the classroom (see Alcaraz
2011: 209). Therefore, the question is whether textbooks provide
relevant and genuine target language and cultural input regarding
the target language and culture. Our hypothesis is that texts in the
125
Methodology I:
objectives and
texts examined
We selected six textbooks which are sold internationally by wellestablished TEFL publishing houses: Cambridge University Press,
Macmillan, and Oxford University Press. These English textbooks are
sold and used worldwide although some of their features may vary to
target specific users or local markets (for example Spanish, Italian,
Asian, etc.). Such changes may affect the selection of activities, but not
the selection of so-called real texts or the way they are adapted in a
significant way. All these coursebooks make use of authentic texts but
these are subject to varying degrees of adaptation. The six textbooks
selected for our analysis represent levels B2 and C1 in CEFR, and were
published between 2008 and 2011. In the case of books published by
the same publisher (for instance Cambridge University Press), only
those with different authors were selected. All these books are intended
for adults, a fact that is reflected in the contents andtasks.
B2-level coursebooks
C1-level coursebooks
126
The aim of our study is to examine whether the authentic texts selected
in ELT textbooks meet a number of requirements in relation to their
authenticity. Acursory examination of the textbooks yields positive
results: real texts have certainly been used in all B2 and C1 textbooks.
However, as we will show, these texts have been changed by writers to
different degrees and the choice of texts is often restricted in terms of
variety, register, complexity, etc. In our research, it is precisely these
alterations that we find interesting.
Methodology II:
text selection and
parameters
127
Results and
discussion
Text typology
1
Results of types of
texts
figure
128
Adaptation
129
Variety of English
represented
2
Results of
varieties of
English
figure
130
(Levey, B. Going light years beyond belches, The Washington Post 1989.)
131
Weve all been interviewed for jobs. And, weve all spent most of those interviews thinking
about what not to do. Dont bite your nails. Dont fidget. Dont interrupt. Dont belch. If we did
any of the donts, we knew wed disqualify ourselves instantly. But some job applicants go light
years beyond this. We surveyed top personnel executives of 100 major American corporations
and asked for stories of unusual behavior by applicants.
Extract2
Extract3
Parts of the beginning, middle, and end have also been cropped.
Spanish expressions like vale madre or S, como dulce have been
removed. The second technique is translation, thus mesero becomes
waiter, salsa de tomate is rendered as tomato ketchup, or cebolla
as onion, etc. The reference to that outlet known as Taco Bell
is turned into the harmless and vague expression outlets you get
everywhere. After this heavy textual intervention, the learner has
the impression that the text has been written by an educated English
speaker who speaks a mainstream variety of English.
Acknowledgements
132
the corresponding text. Probably the main reason for this is not to
infringe copyright regulations. In fact, our results show that proper
acknowledgement of sources has been provided for only 22 of the texts
analysed (that is, 36.6 per cent of the cases). This appears to go against
the general trend elsewhere of acknowledging sources and copyright in a
much more visible way. Lack of proper acknowledgement of authorship
is yet another way of making a text less authentic. In this line, while the
authors name is regularly removed from newspaper articles, the titles
themselves are also frequently altered. This adds further to the loss of
identity and greater decontextualization of these texts.
Conclusions
133
Notes
1 To clarify, we use the term real or authentic
when referring to texts imported from a
natural context of language use, i.e. that have
not been produced for a pedagogical purpose.
2 CEFR (2001) Common European Framework
of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching,
Assessment. Strasbourg: Language Policy
Division of the Council of Europe. Available at
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Cadre1_
en.asp (last accessed 10 January 2013).
134
The authors
Begoa Clavel-Arroitia is an Assistant Lecturer
of English at the Universitat de Valncia where
she teaches SLA and TEFL modules at both
undergraduate and postgraduate level. She is a
member of IULMA-UV (Interuniversity Institute
of Applied Modern Languages, Universitat de
Valncia) and carries out research in the field of
corpus linguistics and its applications to teaching,
the implementation of ICT resources in language
teaching, and the study of gender and language.
She is a member of the research groups Gentext
and CASTLE.
Email: [email protected]
Miguel Fuster-Mrquez is Senior Lecturer of
English at the Universitat de Valncia and a
member of IULMA-UV. His research interests
include corpus linguistics and its applications to
research and teaching, lexicology, variation and
historical linguistics. He is currently a member
of the research group COMETVAL where he
participates in the project Lexical analysis and
discursive parallel and comparable corpora of
Spanish-English-French websites which promote
tourism.
Email: [email protected]
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