Examples of authentic English speech generally include a variety of English writing as well as the English in which both native and non-native speakers communicate. Authentic language is commonly defined by the language teaching profession as that which has not been spoken or written specifically for language teaching. This definition could be…

Modified version of a paper given at the Third Annual Conference of the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language, London, England, December 30, 1969 to January 2, 1970. Considers whether the language material to be taught helps determine the teaching method to be used. (VM)