DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ LISTENING SKILLS WITH THE USE OF AUTHENTIC MATERIALS

Abstract

This article under review focuses on the importance of authentic materials in developing students’ listening skills in the language classroom. Listening in fact is one of the most important keys to language learning. It is also one of the purposes of learning English. Listening skills are very important in building a student’s cognitive, behavioral and affective aspects. It is important to know that listening skills develop this ability to interact and communicate with the world efficiently. There are many advantages when students in the language classroom correctly use these skills.Students also commonly learn through listening and paying attention to what they see and hear around them. Authentic materials help them to gain more knowledge and experience in listening, and they develop their own ideas, interests and preferences. After gaining such experiences, students filter important facts and opinions through different listening activities. Understanding such things helps them to guide and discover their individual possibilities. This article also explains a pivotal role of authenticity in teaching listening skills, and the correct usage of authentic materials and graded texts which are suitable to help our students improve their listening and increase their motivation in a bit more detail.