Abstrack. This research aimed at: (1) identifying the authentic materials in “Cambridge Primary English Stage 4 Learner’s Book” implemented in the first semester of the academic year 2017/2018 to teach reading; (2) describing how authentic materials are implemented to teach reading; and (3) describing the problems in implementing authentic materials to teach reading and solutions proposed by the teacher.
This research was a qualitative case study conducted in SD Islam International Al Abidin Surakarta. The subject of the research was the English teacher who taught reading at the fourth grade of international class program (ICP). Data of the research were collected through observation, interview, documents analysis. They were analyzed by using interactive model proposed by Miles, Huberman, and Saldana (2014).
Findings of the research were: (1) the authentic materials implemented in the first semester of the academic year 2017/2018 to teach reading in “Cambridge Primary English Stage 4 Learner’s Book” were: a) poster, b) book covers, c) cards, d) book index, and e) blurb. (2) The implementation of the use of authentic materials in “Cambridge Primary English Stage 4 Learner’s Book” were: a) poster was used to inform the students the elements of the narrative text or story, b) book covers were used to analyse and identify the content of book or story which is included title, character, setting, plot, and mood based on its covers, c) cards were used by the teacher to teach descriptive text, d) book index was used to teach ordered information and e) blurb was used to teach how to identify the content of the story book. Most of the authentic materials were used in pre-reading activities. (3) Five problems in implementing authentic materials to teach reading were: a) the students’ low ability of English grammar, b) students’ difficulty in understanding the content of authentic material, c) students’ low linguistics competence, d) students’ low language focus related to the sentences used in the authentic materials, and e) students’ lack of vocabulary mastery. Four Solutions proposed by the teacher were (a) giving new vocabulary and stimulation words to the students, (b) studying the other example of authentic material related to the material discussed, (c) having discussion with the students, and (d) improving students’ understanding about the materials that was being discussed.
