AUTHENTIC TEXTS AS A MEANS OF ENHANCING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TEACHING READING IN SECONDARY SCHOOL

Abstract

The article examines the role of authentic texts as a means of increasing the effectiveness of teaching reading in secondary school. Work with real-life materials is shown to boost learners’ motivation, develop lexical guessing skills and highlight links between English and everyday experience. Attention is given to key selection criteria: age and level appropriateness, topics relevant to teenagers’ interests, genre variety, manageable length and visual support. The main stages of work with an authentic text in class are outlined: pre-reading activities for activating background knowledge and reducing difficulties, while-reading tasks for practising reading strategies, and post-reading activities for developing speaking and writing. It is noted that a balanced combination of authentic texts, the coursebook and digital resources helps to keep natural language and curriculum requirements in harmony. Regular use of such materials contributes to vocabulary expansion, stable interest in reading and the development of critical thinking. In the end, the article shows that carefully designed tasks for predicting content, locating specific information, interpreting the author’s stance and giving a personal evaluation make English lessons more engaging, communicative and productive for secondary school learners. Practical value appears in the possibility to adapt these techniques to projects, clubs and blended learning programmes.