BALANCING AUTHENTIC CONTENT AND “HOT TOPIC” DISCUSSIONS IN AN ESP CLASSROOM

Abstract

The article is based on a feedback survey and the author’s teaching experience in finding a balance between authenticity and acceptability of study materials used in ESP courses for International Relations students. The results of the survey conducted among the students of the “Borders and Migration” Bachelor’s course demonstrate that authentic articles and video clips on the current issues of foreign and migration policy agenda, although entailing engaging discussions, may trigger certain resentment and uneasy feelings. A survey among the course teachers also shows their awareness of the possible unexpected reactions when dealing with authentic materials on “hot topics.” Nevertheless, both survey groups state that they prefer authentic materials to excessively edited texts and videos as they believe that “censored” papers may eventually distort the true vision of political realia and impede the formation of students’ professional competencies. As a result, it is suggested that an ESP (International Relations) course should encourage an open discussion as a way of overcoming possible culture and expectation differences. It is also recommended to devise appropriate tasks for developing students’ critical thinking skills. Additionally, ESP practitioners are instructed to organize a range of follow-up integration activities and carefully consider the balance of opinions presented to neutralize the adverse effects of the inciting content