Working with authentic materials in and outside the classroom allows us to work with real language as it functions in contextually appropriate ways, while providing opportunities to improve students’ intercultural awareness. We will examine several examples of teaching practice, specifically designed for a language module aimed at students of Spanish in HE working with a B2+ level of linguistic competence (CEFR), where we have introduced sociocultural content by means of authentic written and oral texts from a variety of sources (mass media, cinema, official bodies, employment agencies, educational institutions, etc.) specifically related to the professional world. Activities have been designed to enhance communicative skills and specific subject knowledge (grammar, lexicon and language functions). The use of simulations and real tasks will encourage the students’ active participation in solving real problems, giving them the opportunity to further develop those skills which make them employable, as most of these students will be carrying out during their third year a work placement or seeking temporary part-time employment in a Spanish speaking country.