IN-SERVICE CERTIFICATE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

COMPONENT 1 - LANGUAGE FOR TEACHERS

TASK 1 - Reading and Presentation
Task outline
You are required to:

select, read and make a summary in note form of a reading source that is
relevant to an audience of peers on the course

Give a brief ten-minute oral presentation of the selected reading source to

your peer group, and include two discussion questions that are relevant to
the text or topic being presented.
The presentation will be assessed by the course tutor(s).
Guidelines
1.

2.

3.
4.

5.

Select a reading source that you feel is interesting and useful to other
course members. The reading text can be taken from a practical teaching
magazine, an extract from a book or an academic journal (e.g. ELT
Journal) or an internet source. The source text or extract should not be
longer than 1,000 1,500 words and must have professional relevance.
Produce a summary in note form of the main ideas or argumentation of
the text. You may use diagrams or tables to summarize the main ideas in
the extract or article you have chosen. You may include one or two short
quotations from the reading source in your presentation. Make sure you
can explain or exemplify any technical terms or concepts in the article /
extract.
Prepare two questions on your selected text which will be useful to
stimulate discussion of key aspects of the text with your peer group.
Give an oral presentation of your selected source to your peer group using
your notes from stage 2 above. Try to introduce and contextualize the
topic presented. The aim of the presentation is to facilitate your audiences
understanding of the main points / issues and to use accurate oral
language, as well as pronunciation and prosodic features (stress, juncture
and intonation) to good effect.
After your oral presentation of the reading source, use your discussion
questions (stage 3) to initiate a brief discussion of the points selected.

NOTE: You should hand in a referenced copy of the original text and your
summary to your course tutor(s)

Communicative Language Teaching (The Communicative Approach)

BY MOHAMMED RHALMI SEPTEMBER 2, 2009

As the language theories underlying the

Audiolingual method and the Sitiuational Language Teaching method were
questioned by prominent linguists like Chomsky (1957) during the 1960s, a new
trend of language teaching paved its way into classrooms. Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT) Which is an approach to the teaching of second and
foreign languages, emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal
of learning a language. It is also referred to as Communicative Approach.
Historically, CLT has been seen as a response to the Audio-Lingual Method (ALM),
and as an extension or development of the Notional-Functional Syllabus. Taskbased language learning, a more recent refinement of CLT, has gained
considerably in popularity.
Shortcomings of structuralism and behaviorism

The theories underlying the audiolingual method and the situational language
teaching were widely criticized during the 1960s. Noam Chomsky, for instance,
rejected the structuralist view of language and demonstrated that there is a
distinction between performance and competence. The goal of the linguist is to
study the linguistic competence native speakers are endowed with. He also
showed, rightly, that structuralism and behaviorism were unable to account for one
fundamental aspect of language, namely the creativity and uniqueness of
individual sentences. A child is able to produce an infinite number of sentences that
s/he has never encountered. This makes the factors of imitation, repetition and
habit formation weak arguments to account for any language learning theory.
A shift towards communicative proficiency
The increasing interdependency between the European countries necessitated a
need for a greater effort to teach adults the principal languages of the continent.
New goals were set in language teaching profession:

The paramount importance of communication aspects of language.

The increasing interest in meaningful learning.

The growing centrality of the learner in teaching processes.

The subordinate importance of structural teaching of language.

Notional / functional dimension of language

Applied linguists and philosophers addressed another fundamental dimension of
language: the functional and communicative potential of language. The speech act
theory showed that we do something when we speak a language. We use
language ( cf Halliday 1975)

to get things,

to control behavior,

to create interaction with others,

to express personal feelings,

to learn,

to create a world of imagination,

to communicate information.

Besides applied linguists emphasized a teaching of language based on

communicative proficiency rather than mastery of structures. instead of describing
the core of language through traditional concepts of grammar and vocabulary, they
(Van Ek & Alexander, 1975; Wilkins, 1976) attempted to show the systems of
meaning underlying the communicative use of language. They described two kinds
of meanings.

Notional categories: concepts such as time, sequence; quantity, location,

frequency.
Functional categories: requests offers, complaints, invitation

In other words, a notion is a particular context in which people communicate. A

function is a specific purpose for a speaker in a given context. For example, the
notion, of shopping requires numerous language functions, such as asking
about prices or features of a product and bargaining.
One language competence or numerous competences?
For Chomsky the focus of linguistics was to describe the linguistic competence that
enables speakers to produce grammatically correct sentences. Dell Hymes held,
however, that such a view of linguistic theory was sterile and that it failed to picture
all the aspects of language. He advocated the need of a theory that incorporate
communication competence. It must be a definition of what a speaker needs to
know in order to be communicatively competent in a speech community.
Later Canale and Swaine (1980) described four dimensions of communicative
competence.

Grammatical competence: refers to what Chomsky calls linguistic

competence.
Sociolinguistic competence: refers to an understanding of the social context
in which communication takes place (role relationships, shared beliefs and
information between participants )

Discourse competence: refers to the interpretation of individual messsage

elements in terms of their interconnectedness and how meaning is

represented in relationship to the entire discourse or text.

Strategic competence: refers to the coping strategies that participants use to
initiate terminate, maintain, repair and redirect communication

Learning theory
According to the the communicative approach, in order for learning to take place,
emphasis must be put on the importance of these variables:

Communication: activities that involve real communication promote learning.

Tasks: activities in which language is used to carry out meaningful tasks

supports the learning process.

Meaning: language that is meaningful and authentic to the learner boosts
learning.

Acquiring or learning?
Stephen Krashen later advocated in his language learning theory that there should
be a distinction between learning and acquiring. He sees acquisition as the basic
process involved in developing language proficiency and distinguishes this process
from learning. Acquisition is an unconscious process that involves the naturalistic
development of language proficiency while learning is the conscious internalisation
of the rules of language. It results in explicit knowledge about the forms of
language and the ability to verbalize this knowledge. Learning according to
Krashen can not lead to acquisition.
Syllabus
Communicative language teaching syllabus organizes the teaching according to
the notional and functional categories of language rather than according to its
structures.It concentrates on the following:

Interactions: using language to communicate,

Tasks: using language to perform meaningful tasks

Learner: puting the learners interesets, needs in the forefront.

Merits of CLT
There are many advantages in teaching according to the communicative approach:

CLT is a holistic appraoch. It doesnt focus only on the traditional structural

syllabus. It takes into consideration communicative dimension of language.

CLT provides vitality and motivation within the classroom.

CLT is a learner centered approach. It capitalizes on the interests and needs

of the learner.
In a world where communication of information and information technology
have broken new considerable ground, CLT can play an important role in
education.

Criticism

Notional syllabus was criticized as merely replacing one kind of list, namely

a list of grammatical structures, with another list of notions and functions.

The various categories of language functions are overlapping and not

systematically graded like the structures of the language.

The communicative approach focuses on the use of language in everyday
situations, or the functional aspects of language, and less on the formal
structures. There must be a certain balance between the two.It gives priority
to meanings and rules of use rather than to grammar and rules of structure.
Such concentration on language behavior may result in negative
consequences in the sense that important structures and rules would be left

out.
The approach relies extensively on the functional-notational syllabus which

places heavy demands on the learners.

A major principle underlying this approach is its emphasis on learners
needs and interests. This implies that every teacher should modify the

syllabus to fit the needs of the learners.

The requirements are difficult. Not all classrooms can allow for group work
activities and for teaching aids and materials.

In spite of its critics, CLT has gained widespread acceptance in the world of
language study. CLT can succeed, as long as teachers dont completely reject the
need for the structure provided by grammar. Teachers must strive for moderation
and dont neglect the merits of other methods. CLT, in the hands of a balanced
teacher, can bring new life and joy to the classroom. Its vitality makes it an
important contributor to language learning approaches.
Read more on the Communicative Approach. Check Richards & Rogers book:
Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (Cambridge Language Teaching
Library)
References
H. Douglas Brown (1987).Principles of language learning and teaching. Englewood
Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice Hall
Richards, Jack C. and Theodore S. Rodgers (1986). Approaches and methods in
language teaching: A description and analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press
Other sources: Wikipedia CLT
Communicative Language Teaching (The Communicative Approach) by
Mohammed Rhalmi September 2, 2009
http://www.myenglishpages.com/blog/communicative-language-teachingcommunicative-approach/#.VGlUcv50ywk
Last Visit: 19/10/14.
Communicative Language Teaching
Summary

CLT main goal is to develop communicative competence in order to cope with

learners autonomy and how to best help them to meet their communicative goals.
This attempt has resulted in brainstorming opinions and discussions among
theorists who ensured that communicative proficiency may depend on the effective
application of this approach.

Some important theorists, but mainly Chumsky in the 1960s doubted about the
effectiveness of the Audio Lingual Method ALM, and Situational Language
Teaching SLT, which did not completely demonstrate the faculty to promote
accuracy in learning a second language. Therefore, the inception of a more
fashionable theory appeared as a promissory alternative to achieve effectively the
goal of communication in the acquisition of L2 since it has proved that CLT
integrates both style and the final aim, which leads the learner to communicate
effectively in L2.
The background of CLT is a consequence of ALM and the expansion of the
Notional Functional Syllabus (NFS). Along with CLT a new more current refinement
has also gained great notoriety. Task-based Learning.
Chomsky stated that there is a difference between performance and competence
with the language. ALM and SLT were widely criticized because of that mechanical
and controlled behavior of the language and both of them were found incapable to
demonstrate how L1 speakers are capable to produce utterances naturally without
being conscious of accuracy. Then, the main purpose of the linguistic is to analyze
how that natural ability can be applicable to L2 learners.

New requirements for communicative achievement

Global needs require learning languages spoken all over, therefore a necessity
grows rapidly and grownups are in the urge to communicate. The utmost challenge

commence in language teaching profession. There is a need to establish

immediate changes in language teaching profession. It means that there is a need
to foster the speaker to produce. Experienced linguists insisted on seeing the
process of teaching a language merely communicative rather than based on
conventional grammar and vocabulary structures. Two forms of meaning are
proposed: Notional/Functional categories.
Additionally, a number of competences are needed to facilitate learners accuracy,
as a result a new terminology is coined: Communication Competence. What is
necessary to know so as to be communicatively competent? A four-dimensioned
communicative competence is proposed by Canele and Swaine (1980).

Grammatical/ Sociolinguistic/Discourse/Strategic competence

Accordingly with the communicative approach, it is necessary to bear in mind three

variations so as to learning is produced.

Communication
Tasks
Meaning

Acquiring vs. Learning?

In agreement with Stephen Krashen theory, there is a remarkable difference
between learning and acquiring. Therefore, he rejected that the target language is
learnt by the process of learning. It emphasized that learning does not lead to
acquisition.

CLT Syllabus and Benefits

CLT syllabus comprises its units based on a classificatory structure of functions
and notions instead of grammar structures, being these: Interactions / Task /
Learner. The communicative approach offers favorable results:

CLT approach goes beyond the conventional structural syllabus.

CLT enhance vigor and encouragement
CLT is focus on learners needs.
CLT is a vital piece in teaching languages since communication has gained
great notoriety.

CLT CRITICS
Notional syllabus received criticism due to the fact that it is said that lists of
grammatical structures were substituted by lists of functions and notions. On the
other hand, there might be negative results because of the lack of grammar rules
and formal structures since the communicative approach is more focused on the
usage of language in daily situations and functionality.
There is a great emphasis on learners necessities so it means a huge demand
from learners and a big duty for teachers to adapt daily sessions and teaching aids.
Despite receiving critics, CLT has been widely accepted in educational
programmes. CLT promises to be a quite successful method in acquiring L2.
Nonetheless, it requires an open mind to accept other methodologies which may
be also a complement of CLT. A well-balanced planning class might hopefully lead
our classrooms to a blissful place to learn under the terms of a new communicative
approach, CLT.

Questions
1. How could communicative approach be adapted to young learners?
2. Does a learner who received formal grammar background in a language is
more capable to develop language competence in learning a second
language?

Article: Communicative Language Teaching (The Communicative Approach)

Author: Mohammed Rhalmi
Date / Time Access: November 17th,2014
Word count: 678