Magazine “Business Spotlight” as the authentic resource for developing English reading skills for higher education students

Abstract

Employing authentic materials to develop reading skills often leads to difficulty in selecting authentic texts. A variety of researchers point out that the selection of authentic materials is challenging and time-consuming, as it requires choosing a suitable, readable, and exploitable text. Tackling this issue can make the selection process brief and increase the implementation of authentic texts for reading purposes in the ESL classroom. This paper aims to analyze the Business Spotlight magazine as a source of reading texts; consider the benefits of this periodical and how it can facilitate the selection of materials; offer a set of designed reading activities based on an article taken from the Business Spotlight magazine, and investigate ESL university students’ attitude towards the article. The research methodology comprises the theoretical analysis and generalization of scientific literature highlighting the significant factors that contribute to the productive implementation of reading authentic texts. The main tool used to measure third-year university students’ attitudes towards the authentic article was a set of designed activities and a follow-up questionnaire based on a Likert scale. The questionnaire aimed to assess the article according to the main factors of choosing authentic materials, including suitability of the content, readability, exploitability, and presentation. The main findings indicate that the authentic article met students’ needs, with information likely to be applied beyond the classroom. Structurally and grammatically,  it  was  not  overly  demanding.  The  article  effectively  enhanced reading, listening, and speaking skills through tailored activities, fostering student motivation and enjoyment in the learning process. Consequently, the Business Spotlight magazine presents a diverse range of authentic articles reporting news from English-speaking countries. These articles are crafted at various language levels, streamlining the selection process for educators who need not adapt the texts themselves. Business Spotlight articles can be employed at different language levels and for various teaching purposes.