ABSTRACT
There is now general agreement among foreign language instructors that authentic materials, that is, materials “not designed solely for classroom use but rather for native speakers” (Cummins, 1989), are an essential part of the second language classroom. Teachers may disagree as to the appropriate level of instruction for introducing such materials into the cumculum, their relative importance in relation to more traditional grammar and vocabulary study, and the amount, nature, and necessity of introductory or preparatory activities, but almost all believe that a foreign language curriculum is inadequate if it does not develop in students the ability to read, understand, and respond to authentic language in all its forms.
