Authentic Sources

Aural and written authentic material produced for native speakers are important resources in the Urban language classroom. Some examples of authentic sources are advertisements, movies, television shows, documentaries, news broadcasts, literature, poems, and newspaper articles.

Urban language teachers employ authentic sources to help students improve their reading proficiency in the target language. Reading sources such as articles can provide a low-stress way of introducing authentic material. They also show students how various grammatical structures and idioms are used in real-life language. Advertisements, news broadcasts, and movies are also great tools to improve listening skills and for teaching cultural context. They serve as a starting point for class conversations and discussions on media literacy.