Communicative language teaching

COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING

Group members Carmen Susana Arias

Lilian Jansson

Most used by language teachers

Implemented in different ways by different teachers working in different contexts.

Developed

1960 – 1970 - 1980 Britain and the USA Approach

Grew out of new theories of language and language learning

Concepts of language

The specific communicativ

e functions

Not just formal structures

What we

do with

utteranc

es

• Achieve communicative competence

Hymes, 1972

• Use the language to communicate with others

Widdowson, 1978

• Language is learnt by directly simulating the target behaviour in the classroom Underlying assumption

Recognizable imitation of real –life communication

• Hey, you’re wanted in Room 13.• Where is it?• On the next floor.• Thanks.

How we really use language in authentic discourse

• Excuse me. Could you tell me where Room 13 is?

• Yes, it’s on the next floor.• Thank you.• Not at all.

and when we say:

• Where is Room 13?• Room 13 is on the next floor.as well as the fact

that we seldom if ever, say:

Emerged • Learner-center approach

Meaning

• Learners wanted to communicate

• How to express them

Bygates (1999)

Repetition

• Fluency• Accuracy• Complexity

Learning

Long process of acquisition

Exposure to and communicative use of the language , with many inevitable mistakes

Conscious effort and wide range of learning activities

Speed up and improve the learners progress.

Language learning

•Learners •Understand•Are interested in understanding Meet some new materials which is

understandable through context

•Are not worried or threatened by the activity

Acquisition occurs as a result of understanding messages

Tasks

use language in order to communicate meanings

without focusing on accuracy.

Language

Real, authentic samples of language

Contextualised chunks rather than discrete

items

Encourage fluency

Learners explore

creatively ways of expressing themselves

Materials aimed to set learners

talking

(e.g. Geddes and Sturtridge 1979; Ur 1981, 1988).

(Brumfit 1984)

Syllabus

Range of different type of

interaction

Need practising

Improvised speech

Content of familiarity

The conditions of oral taks

Differ from the written skills

Oral language processing

Integration of accuracy,

complexity and fluency

To develop learner’s oral

abilities

Vary the emphasis on

fluency, accuracy and complexity

•Organized around functions

Richards et al. 1998; Swan and Walter 1992; Nunan 1995

•Tasks targeting the development of communicative strategies

Dörnyei and Thurrel (1992)

• is unusual in focusing exclusively on spoken skills.

Lynch and Anderson (1992)

A distinct oral syllabus

Integrating Fluency Accuracy

Bygates (1987) suggested that

“ learners can usefully practice different patterns of discourse, in terms of ‘interaction routines’, or

‘information routines”

Input phase

• Hear a recording of native speakers

Rehearsal phase

• Perform the task in small groups

Performance phase

• Students perform the task

J. Willis (1996)

Teacher’s role

Ur (2010)

Teacher mainly as facilitator

Nation (1985)

even in activities where the teacher’s participation is minimal, the teacher still has an important role to play in providing the most favorable opportunities for

participation in language activities. Allwright (1979)

played down the role of the teacher in language learning

Role of instructional material

J. Willis (1996) and Skehan (1998) share the view that tasks cannot target specific features, but only provide conditions which

are capable of influencing the level of complexity, accuracy of fluency that learners will produce. Skehan believes that tasks can only influence attention to accuracy, fluency or

complexity.

Duff (1993)reports that the tasks she used to elicit speech from a learner did not consistently elicit the

same kinds of speech.

Brumfit (1984)

stressed that fluency activities should provide learners with the freedom to improvise their own expressions

Activity

A word from our sponsor.

Benefited types of learners

Visual

Auditory

Social

Kenesthetic

Activity 1

Cons

Shy disadvanta

ge

Tactile

Introvert

Pro/Con

Dependant , quiet Cognitive

processSimultaneo

us

Proficiency orientation

Range of context Range of function Development of accuracy Response to affective and cognitive

needs Cultural understanding

References

Davies, P., Pearse, E. (2008). Success in English Teaching. Oxford University Press. China.

Harmer, J. (2001). How to teach English. Longman. England. Nation. P. (1985). Taken from

http://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/about/staff/publications/paul-nation/1985-Opportunities.pdf [May 22nd, 2012]

Ur. P. (2010) Taken from http://www.cambridge.com.mx/pennyur/Penny-TCAR.pdf [May

22nd, 2012]