Communicative Language

Teaching

The Older Model

By the late 1960s scepticism was growing over

language centred methods in terms of their

effectiveness in the learners communicative ability.
Kumaravadivelu, 2006

Popular early methods (e.g. Audio-lingual & Grammar

Translation) developed a command of grammar, but

not communicative competence.
Demirezen, 2011

CLT
Communicative method doesnt view language only

as a grammatical system. It is a system for conveying

meaning.
Kumaravadivelu,2006

The idea of CLT is to allow students to participate in

communication in order to achieve communicative

competence through interpretation, expression and
negotiation of meaning.
Wong, 2012

Fluency is emphasised over strict grammatical

correctness (although errors arent completely

ignored).
Whong, 2011

Some Methods
Activities can include lectures, conversations, picture

descriptions, role plays etc. Anything that encourages

spontaneity and improvisation.
Wong, 2012; Demirezen 2011

Emphasis on learning through interaction makes

group and pair work very common in CLT.

Cooperative Learning requires students to work
together to further individual learning.
Whong, 2011

Criticism
Some teachers are unsure how to apply CLT because

it has a much broader definition than other

methodologies. E.g. Most think it is solely about oral
communication. Few understand that
communication refers to all four skills.
Wong, 2012

Students goals vary, so some may not see the point

in gaining communicative competence. Especially if

they are there just to pass a written exam.
Farhad, 2013; Nishino, 2008

Solutions
Teachers misunderstanding what CLT is can be

overcome with in-service training programmes and

better explanations. It is important to know that CLT
doesnt exclude written and grammar skills. So CLT
does not detract from the point of the class. It just
presents it in a different way.
Nishino, 2008; Wong, 2012

In Japanese schools, having an Assistant Language

Teacher (a native speaker) makes the importance of

the communicative element more salient.
Nishino,2008

Conclusion
Because of its emphasis on learning through

meaningful content and learner engagement, CLT has

become a dominant language teaching methodology
all over the world.
Chowdhury et al, 2008

References
Chowdhury, R., & Phan, L. (2008). Reflecting on Western TESOL Training

and Communicative Language Teaching: Bangladeshi Teachers Voices.

Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 20(3), 305-316.
Demirezen, M. (2011). The Foundations of the Communicative Approach
and Three of Its Applications. Journal Of Language & Linguistics
Studies, 7(1), 57-71.
Farhad, M. (2013). Communicative Language Teaching in Bangladesh - Is it
an Applicable Method in ESL/EFL Context?. Language In India,13(10), 287293.
Kumaravadivelu, B. (2006). Understanding Language Teaching: From
Method to Post Method. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Nishino, T. (2008). Japanese secondary school teachers' beliefs and
practices regarding communicative language teaching: an exploratory
survey. JALT JOURNAL, 30(1), 27.
Whong, M. (2011). Language Teaching: Linguistic Theory in Practice.
Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Wong, C. (2012). A Case Study of College Level Second Language
Teachers' Perceptions and Implementations of Communicative Language
Teaching. Professional Educator, 36(2),