ERIC - EJ1192263 - Communicative Language Teaching: Possible Alternative Approaches to CLT and Teaching Contexts, English Language Teaching, 2018 (2024)

FAQs

What are the CLT methods of Communicative Language Teaching? ›

Communicative language teaching strategies focus on promoting interaction, fluency, and real-life communication. These include role plays, group discussions, problem-solving tasks, and information gap activities that allow learners to practice and improve their functional language skills in authentic contexts.

Communicative language teaching (CLT), or the communicative approach (CA), is an approach to language teaching that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of study.

Examples of Communicative Approach Activities in the Classroom. Role-playing is an effective activity that is often used in the CLT classroom. For example, some students may love shopping, so the teacher decides that they should discuss their love of shopping through a role-playing activity.

As an approach, rather than a methodology, there is no one specific method that is authoritative in utilizing CLT in the language learning classroom. Instead, CLT encompasses many different methods and materials as appropriate to the context of the target language.

Mechanical, Meaningful, and Communicative Practice

Another useful distinction that some advocates of CLT proposed was the dis- tinction between three different kinds of practice – mechanical, meaningful, and communicative.

At various times, CLT has been defined by many experts in different ways. Despite the fact that it is hard to find a universal definition of CLT, Brown (2000, p. 266) suggests that CLT definitions share four major components about communicative competence, meaningful communication, fluency, and spontaneity.

The CLT approach focuses on giving students the skills to clearly and confidently communicate in real-world situations with native speakers of their target language. As such, it moves away from a traditional focus on grammar to encourage the active and authentic use of language in learning and acquisition.

It refers to the interaction between computer and human language which helps the computer to achieve human-like comprehension of languages. Hence, it becomes clear that Communicative Language Teaching replaced basically Structural Teaching.

The CLT teacher assumes a responsibility for determining and responding to learner language needs. The teacher has the responsibility to use text- based, task based and realia effectively in his/her classroom. The roles of teachers and learners are in many ways, complementary.

However, other studies have criticized CLT, raising concerns about its lack of explicit grammar and vocabulary instruction, insufficient preparation for formal writing, standardized exams, insufficient attention to individual learner differences, and emphasis on fluency over accuracy.

What are the disadvantages of CLT approach? ›

Here are some possible disadvantages of CLT: Insufficient focus on grammar: CLT's emphasis on communication and fluency sometimes reduces the stress on grammar accuracy. Learners may need more instruction and practice in the formal aspects of the language, which can impact their overall language proficiency.

Richards and Rodgers (2001, p. 169) identified three main roles ascribed to the teacher within the CLT framework. The teacher is seen as a need analyst, a counselor and a group process manager. First, he is a need analyst in that he is required to determine and respond to learners' language needs.

The communicative approach to teach English focuses on linguistic competence plus an ability to use the language appropriately as it: aims to strengthen fluency, not the accuracy. promotes learners to encounter with real life situations. focuses on communication rather than grammatical structures.

CLT works on the basis of this theory employing authentic conversation in classroom settings rather than focusing on the rules. Here, learner-centeredness is again made manifest because it engages him. He is not only a passive listener but rather builds on prior knowledge through the hints given by the teacher (ibid).

Currently, the communicative competence model is constructed of four competence areas: linguistic, sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic. Two of them focus on the functional aspect of communication, and the other two reflect the use of the linguistic system.

According to Howatt, there are two versions of Communicative Language Teaching—a strong version and a weak one. The weak version requires students to first learn language as a structural system before learning how to use it in communication.

Educators employing the Direct Method aim to minimise the use of the learners' native language during lessons. This encourages learners to think directly in the target language, eliminating the need for translation. Vocabulary and grammar are introduced in context, rather than through isolated lists or rules.