"Authentic Texts in Language Acquisition: Theories, Approaches and Practices"

 

“Authentic Texts in Language Acquisition: Theories, Approaches and Practices” is a linguo-didactics book in Latvian for prospective and new teachers of Latvian as a foreign language or of other foreign languages. 

The book focuses on how to involve authentic texts (incl. city texts, or linguistic landscape (LL) signs) in language teaching. Which texts, tasks, strategies, and methods are the most appropriate for teaching foreign language in a communicative and contextualized way? How have linguistic landscape data and the LL approach been used to organize learning processes and develop textbooks in Latvia and worldwide? 

Inspired by many scholars (e.g., K. Brandl, B. Cope, M. Kalantzis, J. C. Richards, T. S. Rodgers, E. Zyzik, C. Polio, D. Gorter, J. Cenoz, D. Malinowski, E. Krompák, C. A. Chapelle, S. Marten (Lazdiņa), H.F. Marten), the book combines: 

- an overview of the latest theories and approaches in language pedagogy (e.g., multiliteracies, task-based language teaching, and place-based education) and linguistic landscape studies related to language acquisition 

- reflexive questions to encourage rethinking one’s pedagogical beliefs and practices 

- advice for choosing authentic texts (incl. LL signs), creating communicative tasks, teaching grammar, and providing students with meaningful feedback 

- examples of authentic texts, tasks, student-led projects, and language lesson plans 

- the results of a content analysis of 17 textbooks of Latvian as a foreign language and of a questionnaire given to 23 language teachers about their pedagogical beliefs and practices and their attitude toward using LL signs in the learning process (e.g., in textbooks, classroom activities, and students’ independent work).