ELT365 · D179 — Adapting Authentic Texts Without Destroying Them

Idea — Authentic texts can be simplified without losing authenticity. Replace low-frequency vocabulary; keep the voice and argument. Don’t rewrite it as a coursebook text.

Example — Replace ‘exacerbate’ with ‘make worse’. Keep the paragraph structure, the data, the writer’s tone. It’s still authentic; just more accessible.

Try — Take one paragraph from an authentic text. Rewrite it for B1 without losing the argument. How many words did you change? Was any change unnecessary?

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