Methodology

A Seminar on

Communicative Language Teaching

Course Instructor
Dr. Omar I lias
Prepared by : Suad Kanao

Contents of The Seminar:

- Introduction
- Theory
- References
 First of all before entering details in our subject which is

communicative language teaching , it is important to know something

about it . The communicative language teaching is based on the idea that

learning language successfully comes through having to communicate

real meaning.When learners are involved in real communication,their

natural strategies for language acquisition will be used, and this will alow

them to learn to use the language.

All human beings need to communicate in order to express their ideas,

feelings and thoughts, this is the main reason why communicative

activities should be integrated into the lesson.

As we know that the goal of most the methods is for students to

learn to communicate in the target language.

In 1970, educators began to question how they achieve this goal in the right

way. Some observed that students could produce sentence accurately in

lesson,but could not use them appropriately when communicating outside

the classroom.

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Others noted that being able to communicate required more than mastering

linguistic strutures due to the fact that language was fundamentally social

(Halliday 1973).

Within social context, language users needed to perform certain functions

such as promising,inviting and declining invitations (wilkins 1976)

Student may know the rules of lingnistic usage,but unable to use that

language. (widdowoson 1978 )

In short being able to communicate required more than linguistic

competence,it required communicative competence ( Hymes 1971)

Such observations were shift in the field in the late 1970 and early 1980

from a linguistic structure – centered approach to a communicative

language teaching (CLT) (larsen and Asanberson, 2011:152 )

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Theory of Language

The communicative approach in language teaching starts from a th eory of

language as communication . The goal of language teaching is to

develop what Hymes referred to as communicative competence Hymes

used this term to contrast with chomskys view of competence for

Chomsky, the focus of linguistic theory was to characterize the abstract

abilities speakers possess which enable them to produce grammatically

correct sentences. On the other hand, in Hymss view, a person who

acquires communicative competence acquires both knowledge and ability

for language use with respect to :

1-Whether something is formally possible

2-Whether something is feasible in virtue of means of implementation

available

3-Whether something is appropriate in relation to a context.

4-Whether something is actually performed or done, and what its doing

entails. ( Richard and rodgers,2010 : 159 )

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-Another Linguistic theory of communication favoured in CLT is Hallidays

functional account of language use. Halliday complemented Hymess view

of communicative competence for many writers on CLT. He described

seven basic functions that language performs for children learning their

first language:

1-The instrumental function : using language to get things.

2- The regulatory function : using language to control the behaviour of others.

3- The interactional function : using language to create interaction with others.

4- The personal function : to express personal feelings and meanings.

5- The heuristic function : to learn and to discover.

6- The imaginative function :to create a world of imagination.

7- The representational function : using language to communicate information.

Another theorist frequently cited for his views on the communicative nature of
language is Henry widdowson . He focused on the communicative acts underlying

the ability to use language for different purposes.

A related and recent analysis of communicative competence is found in

Canale and Swain ( 1980 ) , in which four dimensions of communicative

competence are identified:

a) Grammatical competence : ( grammatical and lexical capacity)

b) Sociolinguistic competence : understanding of social context of utterance.

c) Discourse competence : how meaning is represented in relationship to the entre

discourse or text.

d) Strategic Competence : the coping strategies that communicators employ to

initiate, terminate, or maintain communication.

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To sum up all the previous theories CLT has a rich theortical base.

the characteristics of this communicative view of language are

1-Language is a system for expressing meaning.

2-The primary function of language is for communication.

3- Language structure reflects its functional and communicative uses.

4-The primary units of language are categories of functional and

communicative meaning as exemplified in discourse.

Elements of an underlying learning theory can be described in

some CLT practices . One such element can be described as 1-The

Communication principles (activities that involve real communication

promote learning ) A second element is. 2-The task principle(activities in

which language is used for carring out meaningful tasks promote learning )

A third element is. 3-The meaning fullness principle language: that is

meaningful to the learner supports the learning process . Thus , learning

activities are consequently selected according to how well they engage

the learner in meaningful and authentic language use. ( Richard and

Rodgers, 2010 : 161 )

Krashen and other second language acquisition theorists typically

stress that language learning comes about through using language

communicatively, rather than through practicing language skills.

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a-Objectives

Pieph (1981) discusses the following levels of objectives in a

communicative approach :

1-Integrative and content level .( language as a meons of expression)

2-Linguistic and instrumental level (language as a semiatic system and an object
of learning).

3-An affective level of interpersonal relationships (language as a means of

expressing values and judgements about oneself and others).

4-A level of individual learning needs (remedial learning based on error analysis).
5- A general educational level of extra linguistic goals(language learning within the

school curriculum).

b-The Syllabus

There are at present several proposals and models for What a syllabus might

look like in CLT Yaldin (1983) describs the major syllabus types in CLT :

1-Structures plus functions.(Wilkins 1976 )

2-Functional spiral around a structural core(Brumfit 1980)

3-Structural, functional, instrumental( Allen 1980)

4-Functional (Jupp and Hadlin 1975)

5-Notional (Wilkins 1976)

6-Interactional(Widdowson 1979)

7-Task-based (prabhu 1983 )

8-Learner generated (Condlin 1976, Henner Stanchina and Riley 1978)

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c- Types of learning and teaching activities

The rang of activity types compatible with a communicative approach is

unlimited, and such activites enable learners to attain the communicative

objective of the curriculum.Littlewood ( 1981) distinguishes between functional
communication activities and social interaction activities as major activity types

.in CLT. Functional Communicative activities include such tasks as learners

comparing sets of pictures and noting similarities and differences, discovering
missing features in a map or a picture, following directions and solving problems

from shared clues .Social interaction activities include conversation and

discussion sessions, dialogue and role plays.

d- Learner roles

Students are expected to interact with each other rather than with the
teacher , the correction of error is absent or infrequent. Breen and Candlin add
that the role of the learner as a negotiator- between the self, the learning process,
and the object of learning - emerges from and interacts with the role of joint
negotiator with the group and within the classroom procedures and activities

which the group undertakes. The learner should contributes as much as he gains
and thereby learn in an interdependent way .Faild communication is a joint

responsibility and not the fault of speaker and listener . Similarly, successful
communication is accomplishment jointly achieved and acknowledged.

(Richard and Rodgers, 2010 : 166 )

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e -Teacher roles

According to Breen and Candlin, the teacher has two main roles: the first

role is to falicitate the communication process between all participants in the

classroom. the second role is to act as an independent practicipant within the
learning- teaching group. Another role is that of reasearcher and learner.Other

roles include:

-Needs Analyst

To determin the learner language needs and respond to them either

informally and personally ( one- to- one sessions with students ) in which the
teacher talks about issues such as the students perception of his / her learning
style and learning goals . It may be done formally through administering a needs

assessment instrument to determine an individuals motivation for studying the

language.

-Counselor

The teacher is expected to exemplify an effective communicator seeking to

maximize the meshing of speaker intention and hearer interpretation,through the

use of paraphrase ,confirmation and feedbackts.

-Group process Manager

(According to classroom practice )

This means the teachers responsibility to organize the classroom as a

setting for communication and communicative activities . Also he monitors,

encourages and suppresses the inclination to supply gaps in lexis , grammar,and

strategy.

At the conclusion of group activity , pointing out alternatives and assisting groups

in self- correction discussion.

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f- The role of instructional materials

practitioners of CLT view materials as a way of influencing the quality of

classroom interaction and language use . Materials thus have the primary role of
promating communicative language use .There are three types of materials
used in CLT:

1-Text-based Materials

Many textbooks are designed to direct and support CLT. Their tables of
contents sometimes suggest a kind of grading and sequencing of language
practice. Some of these are written around a largely structural syllabus,with slight

reformatting to justify their claims to be based on a communicative approach.

Others look very different from previous language teaching texts like Marraw and
Johnsons communicale which has none of the usual dialogues, drills and

sentence patterns, and uses visual cues , taped cues, pictures and sentence
fragments to initiate conversation.

2-Task-based Materials

A variety of games role plays and task-based communication activities

have been prepared to support CLT classes. Typically, in the form of one-of-a-kind
items : exercise handbooks,cue cards, activity card,etc In pair- communication
materials,there are typically two sets of material for a pair of students,each set

containing different kinds of information.

3-Realia

Proponents of CLT have advocated the use of authentic,from life

materials in the classroom. These might include language- based realia such as

signs, magazines , advertisements , etc, around which communicative activities

can be built, objects also can be used to support communicative exercises.

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2-Design

Finocchiaro and Brumfit offer a number of CLT procedures:

1-Presertation of a brief dialogue preceded by a motivation and a dis- cussion of

the function and situation- people, roles, setting , topic and the formality or
informality of the language which the function and situation demand.

2- Oral practice of each utterance( individually and group), generally preceded by

your model.

3- Questions and answers based on the dialogue topic and situation.

4- Questions and answers related to students persanol experience but centered

around the dialogue theme.

5-Study one of the basic communicative expressions in the dialogue which

exemplify the function.

6-Learner discovery of rules underlying the functional expression.This should

include its oral and written forms, its position in the utterance, its formality or
informality in the utterance.

7- Oral recognition, interperpretative activities.

8- Oral production, activities- proceding from guided to freer communica tion

activities.

9- Copying of the dialogue if they are not in the class text.

10- Evaluation of learning ( oral only ) ( Finocchiaro and Brumfit 1983:107-108)

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- Larsen – Freeman , D ., & Anderson, M.(2011).
Techniquies and Principles in language teaching (3rd
Ed).Oxford : New York : Oxford University press.

- Richards, J.C.,& Rodgers, T.S.(2010).Approaches

and methods in languge teaching.Cambridge :
Cambridge University press.

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