The use of current news articles in EFL classes is widely recognized as a means of introducing students to authentic materials from the English-speaking world and increasing student interest. This paper discusses the following aspects of using newspaper and magazine articles in university EFL classes: (1) how to choose appropriate and motivating articles; (2) how to use the articles as background material for discussions and writing assignments as well as reading practice; and (3) how to prepare effective classroom materials based on the readings with a minimum investment of time and effort on the part of the instructor. Several examples of the authors' use of authentic news articles in their classes are discussed.
 

WHY USE CURRENT NEWS ARTICLES?

First, teachers know the level of ability as well as the unique needs and interests of their students better than any textbook author. Current articles can be chosen that are not only at an appropriate level for your students, but are also more interesting, relevant and timely than those that appear in textbooks. Second, reading, understanding, and discussing authentic English articles may increase students' confidence and motivate them to read more outside of class. Finally, learning to deal with authentic English-language materials will be an important job-related skill for many of our students after graduation. The sometimes overly simplified reading passages that appear in many of the popular English conversation books provide little meaningful practice in this respect. Material can be chosen from current newspapers and magazines that is both authentic and appropriate for your students' majors.
　

CHOOSING APPROPRIATE AND MOTIVATING ARTICLES
　
The best way to choose articles that are appropriate and motivating for a particular group of students is simply to know your students well. Also, don't overlook your own interests. Students will often be more motivated to contribute to a discussion if it is clear that the teacher is genuinely interested in the topic. Consider using a wide variety of types of published materials and articles from a variety of sources. Don't overlook student publications such as articles from student newspapers and newsletters, the winning entries in composition or speech contests, etc. The level and topics of these publications are usually highly appropriate, and we have found that students are especially motivated when they read the published work of other students they know. Think ahead, and keep a file of articles you might use in the future. Cut out or copy articles as you are reading that you find personally interesting or you think might be appropriate for your students in the future and simply place them in a folder. This can also be useful for your students in choosing topics for presentations or writing assignments. Finally, be sure to consider the readability of the articles you are considering for use; don't choose articles that are too long or too difficult for your students to handle.
 

USING AUTHENTIC ARTICLES EFFECTIVELY

One major reservation many teachers have about using authentic articles in their classes is that developing materials and exercises to be used with them can be time-consuming. We have found, however, that with just a little creativity, such materials can be prepared with very little work on the part of the instructor, and in many cases none at all other than making the article available to the students. Certain types of articles themselves, for example, suggest how they might be used in the classroom.

Advice columns such as "Dear Abby" or "Ann Landers" are almost ready-made writing assignments when your students are learning to write letters. Articles with tables of numbers or information can often be used just as they are for information-gap activities. The short "psychology" quizzes found in many magazines can be used to set up competitions in which groups of students discuss the questions and then compare their answers. Editorials and other articles from the opinion pages of newspapers that discuss current social issues can be given as reading assignments to advanced students to provide background knowledge for class discussions or debates. Actual discussion questions or topics can often be written by the students themselves. Furthermore, even when the instructor does feel a need to prepare written materials to aid students with comprehension or to facilitate discussion, those materials can be saved and used over and over again in the future.