Text and task authenticity in the EFL classroom

There is now a general consensus in language teaching that the use of authentic materials in the classroom is beneficial to the learning process. However, on the question of when authentic materials can be introduced into the classroom there is less agreement. In addition, the notion of authenticity has largely been restricted to discussions about texts; there have been few systematic attempts to address the question of task authenticity. In the paper that follows, the authors endeavour to address both of these issues.