USE OF MATERIALS IN ESP CLASSES: AUTHENTIC TASKS OR TRADITIONAL TEXTBOOKS

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze and compare the use of authentic materials and textbooks in English for Specific Purposes learning and teaching context. The authors compare the benefits and possible drawbacks of both types of materials. The article focuses on teachers’ attitude and opinions regarding the appropriateness and exploitability of each source and their preferences and reasons for materials selection. A specially designed questionnaire was conducted, addressing the questions of materials selection, teachers’ preferences regarding authentic materials or textbooks and selection criteria applied by the ESP lecturers of I. Puluj TNTU. The authors made an attempt to offer some recommendations regarding materials selection in ESP setting.