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Communicative
Language Teaching
(CLT):
Weak CLT

By, Anuar Ismail and Brenda Chin

Communicative Language Teaching

One of the goals of CLT is to develop

fluency in language use.
Types of activities in CLT:

Task completion activity

Information-gathering activity
Opinion-sharing activity
Information-transfer activity
Reasoning-gap activity
Role play activity

Richards, J. C. (2006). Communicative Language Teaching Today. New

York: Cambridge University Press.

Weak Communicative Language Teaching

Weak version : learning to use English

Related to the analytic dimension of learning in CLT:

Instruction (main focus: form + meaning)
Conscious learning and practice
Increasing automaticity of correct language

Littlewoods (1981) classical typology of communicative

activities is located within the weak version.

He proposed a teaching sequencing from pre-

communicative to communicative activities.

Richards, J. C. (2006). Communicative Language Teaching Today. New
York: Cambridge University Press.

Weak Communicative Language Teaching

Pre-communicative activities
Structural Activities:
1. Drills
2. Question-and-answer exercises etc
Quasi-communicative activities:
1. Cued dialogues
2. Role-plays etc
Communicative Activities
Functional communication activities:
1. Discovering missing information
2. Discovering differences
3. Reconstructing story sequences etc
Social interactional activities:
1. Simulation
2. Role-play etc
Richards, J. C. (2006). Communicative Language Teaching Today. New
York: Cambridge University Press.

Theory of Learning Relating to CLT

CLT emphasizes humanism, which focuses on

students needs and individual affective factors.

The humanists, on the other hand, place great

importance on affective and emotional factors and
hold the view that success in learning occurs only if
the learning environment is right, and the learners
are interested in, and have a positive attitude
towards, the new information." (Nesamalar C.,
Sithamparam S., & The S. C., 2007; page 8)

Nesamalar C., Sithamparam S., & The S. C. (2007). ELT Methodology: Principles
and Practice. Selangor: Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd.

Theory of Learning Relating to CLT

"What is needed, according to Rogers, is for teachers to

become facilitators of learning through the establishment of
interpersonal relationships with learners." (Brown H. D.,
2007; page 97)

"Classroom activities and materials in language learning

should therefore utilize meaningful contexts of genuine
communication with students engaged together in the
process of becoming persons." (Brown H. D., 2007; page 98)

Brown, H. D. (2007). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching,

Fifth Edition. New York: Pearson Education Inc.

20-minute Lesson
Step 1:
i.

Divide the pupils into 5 groups (4 person per

group).

ii.

Form 2 pairs in a group.

Step 2: Pre-communicative Activity

Question & Answer Session:
iii.

Look at the picture and describe what you can see.

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Step 3: Communicative Activity

i.

Teacher has copied 2 sets of pictures.

ii.

Pair A receives one set of picture; Pair B receives a

similar picture but it contains a number of slight
differences from Pair As picture.

iii.

The pairs must not let other people see the picture.

iv.

They have to ask questions to try to find out how

many differences there are between the two
pictures.

References
Brown, H. D. (2007). Principles of Language
Learning and Teaching, Fifth Edition. New York:
Pearson Education Inc.
Nesamalar C., Sithamparam S., & The S. C. (2007).
ELT Methodology: Principles and Practice.
Selangor: Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd.
Richards, J. C. (2006). Communicative Language
Teaching
Today.
New
York:
Cambridge
University Press.

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