The effectiveness of using authentic materials in teaching ESP in higher education:Towards a performance-based approach the case of third year EFL students at the University Mohammed Seddik Ben Yahia,Jijel

Abstract

English for specific purposes (ESP) has become a crucial subject in learning a foreign language, since the world has witnessed remarkable improvement in economics and technology in the 1960s. In fact, the field of ESP teaching has also been revolutionized with the integration of ICT tools and other authentic materials. These tools have proved to be in the service of learners, since they provide them with the ability to interact with the native speakers in real life contexts. Moreover, several studies attempted to explore the main issues and difficulties that teachers and learners may encounter in an ESP teaching situation. Therefore, the present paper attempts to shed light on the positive effects of implementing authentic materials in ESP classrooms in the sense that they increase the learners’ comprehension as well as raising their motivation and interests. The study takes place at the English department of Mohammed Seddik Ben Yahia University in Jijel. To carry out the present research, a questionnaire and classroom observation have been used as research instruments in order to collect the necessary data in both settings. The questionnaire was administered with 59 third year students, while the classroom observation was conducted at EFL classes in Mohammed Seddik Ben Yahia University. In this respect, the respondents’ answers were analyzed and interpreted. Besides, the literature review and the findings obtained supported the hypotheses of this research and confirmed that authentic materials are crucial tools in developing the learners’ level, promoting their skills, and making the courses’ objectives well achievedBased on the research findings, we suggest some useful strategies to be implemented in ESP classrooms at Jijle University, in order to achieve good results. These strategies aim to improve teaching quality, course effectiveness, and cope with the students’ target needs