How to use newspapers and magazines in EFL

How to use newspapers and magazines in EFL class?

The aim of the report is to introduce another additional source of teaching practice: newspapers as an authentic material and magazines as a semi-authentic material in the EFL class.

• Reading means Reading is one of the essential language skills comprising every language lesson and the whole process of learning itself.

• Authentic materials Using authentic materials is one of the mainstays of an imaginative and motivating higher level course, but rarely features at levels lower than intermediate.

Authentic newspapers and semi-authentic magazines have some assets and drawbacks, each of which are discussed in greater detail below: • Availability • Variety • Topicality

The effective use of newspapers and magazines in EFL classrooms should include the following: • “Warm-up or discussion activity to introduce the topic • Work on selection of the techniques covered by the text, which will generate • Vocabulary development, guided or free writing activities, oral practice, exercises performed in pairs or small groups • A follow-up activity , such as discussion, a role-play or project work. ”

A few aspects motivate students in learning EFL through reading newspapers and magazines: • • • Interest Personalization Cultural information Cross-curriculum Vocabulary

A list of reading strategies and techniques: • Activating prior knowledge • Clarifying • Context Clues • Drawing Conclusions • Evaluating • Inference

Inference is essential for effective reading because the conventional meaning of words or collocations is not always clear and the reader is often confused about the intended message of the writer. • This means that inference skills are vital to develop from the very beginning.

Scanning It is a strategy that helps students to read quickly and find what they are looking for. We move our eyes quickly down the page seeking specific words or phrases. It is useful to look for the text organizers such as numbers, letters or steps.

Skimming It is a skill applied to reading when we need to have an idea of the main points of the text, or, in other words, to ´get the general picture´ of the text.

Conclusion Both newspapers and magazines were described as a good source for practicing the English language. It was stressed that using newspapers as authentic material and magazines as semi-authentic material is very important for a learner’s connection with ´real´ English.

Thank you for your attention!