Martinez listed following pluses and minuses:
Advantages:
- Students are exposed to real language
- There is factual acquisition from most of them
- Textbooks do not include inaccurate language
- Authentic materials may be inspirational for some students
- One piece of text may be used for various activities and tasks
- There is a wide choice of styles, genres and formality in authentic texts
- They can motivate students to read for pleasure
Disadvantages:
- Authentic texts may be difficult to understand because of a culture gap
- The vocabulary may be not exactly what the students need
- They are rather difficult for beginners
- Preparation of the texts and activities is often demanding and time consuming
- There are many various accents and dialects in listenings
- The materials become outdated quickly (news)