Abstract:
Writing in English is a skill that is required in all professions. Students lack motivation and teachers face difficulties in finding effective materials to teach this skill. These problems could be solved through the use of authentic materials. This study aims to prove the effectiveness of using different types of authentic materials to improve EFL writing for the work place at university level. The study was mainly experimental in nature. The sample consisted of 70 students studying marketing at Sudan University of Science and Technology. Two instruments were used; (a) pre- and post-tests, and (b) interview with 15 teachers who teach ESP at three leading universities in Khartoum. The students of the experimental group were taught writing for the work place using different types of authentic materials and through authentic tasks while the students of the control one were not. The experiment lasted six weeks. The result of comparing the results of the pre-test and post test revealed statistically significant differences between the performance of students before and after the treatment which indicates the improvement of the level of the students in the experimental group. The analysis of the interview with the teachers supported the results of the experiment and also indicated that this will solve the problem that is caused by unaffordable and expensive textbooks. Teachers also believe that using such materials motivate students and connect them to real world of language usage which creates sense of purpose for learning. The interview also proved that the absence of using authentic materials at tertiary level is due to the lack of training on how to use them among teachers. These results have verified the hypotheses of the study. The study recommended the use of authentic materials to teach writing for the workplace as well as the provision of training for the teachers on how to use them.
