The term ‘authenticity’ has sparked off a lot of discussion in the fields of linguistics, materials design, and language learning; a consensus, however, has not been reached on a precise definition. In this article, a distinction is made between text authenticity and learner authenticity. A set of guiding principles for making textually authentic materials learner authentic is suggested. Finally, a three-week supplementary English programme, which was devised for a group of Hong Kong Polytechnic students based on these principles, is described.