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Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)By: Jonathan Portada Mendoza Citlali Lizbeth Flores#Presentations outline Background Approach: Theory of Language and Theory of Learning. Design: Objectives, Syllabus, Types of Learning & Teaching Activities, Learner & Teacher roles, and The Role of Instructional Materials. Procedures Conclusion#Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)communicative approach to the teaching of foreign languages communicative approach

Communicative language teaching (CLT) is an approach to the teaching of second and foreign languages that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of learning a language. 1The aims of CLT?

Make communicative competence the goal of language teaching.Develop procedures for the teaching of the four language skills.2Background The origins of (CLT) are found in the changes in the British language teaching tradition in the late 1960s.Situational Language Teaching (SLT) was the major approach to teaching English as a FL.Language was taught by practicing basic structures in meaningful situation-based activities. British applied linguists rejected the theoretical assumptions underlying SLT because the focus on language teaching was the mastery of structures rather than on communicative proficiency.3BackgroundScholars who advocated this view of language: British functional linguist Halliday, American sociolinguist Dell Hymes and work in philosophy J. Austin.There was a need in Europe to teach adults the major languages of the European Common market, and in 1971 a group of experts began to investigate the possibility of developing language courses, in which learning tasks are broken into units. In 1972, D. A. Wilkins proposed a functional or communicative syllabus for language teaching. His contribution was an analysis of the communicative meanings that a language learner needs to understand and express.4BackgroundWilkins defined two categories of meanings: notional categories (concepts such as time, sequence, quantity, location, frequency) Categories of communicative function (requests, denials, offers, complaints). This was the birth of notional syllabuses, which had a significant impact on CLT.The Council of Europe incorporated Wilkins semantic/communicative analysis into a set of specifications for a first-level communicative language syllabus.The work of the Council of Europe, the writings of Wilkins, Widdowson, Candlin, Brumfit, Keith Johnson, and other British applied linguists on the theoretical basis for a communicative or functional approach to language teaching, the application of these ideas, the acceptance of these principles by British language specialists came to be referred to as the Communicative Approach or CLT.5BackgroundCommunicative Approach aims to: make communicative competence the goal of language teaching, and develop procedures for the teaching of the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) that acknowledge the interdependence of language and communication. There are two version of the CLT:The weak version stresses the importance of providing learners with opportunities to use their English for communicative purposes (learning to use English).The strong version advances the claim that language is acquired through communication. That is not merely a question of activating an existing but inert knowledge of language, but of stimulating the development of the language system itself (using English to learn it).6ApproachTheory Of Language The Communicative Approach in language teaching starts from a theory of language as communication. The goal of language teaching is what Hymes (1972) referred to as communicative competence. Hymes coined this term in order to contrast a communicative view of language and Chomskys theory of competence. In Hymes view, a person who acquires communicative competence acquires both knowledge and ability for language use.7Approachknowledge and language use respond to1) Whether something is formally possible2)Whether something is convenient 3) Whether something is appropriate in relation to a context in which it is used4) Whether something is in fact done, actually performed, and what its doing entails8ApproachHymes' theory of what knowing a language entails offers a much more comprehensive view than Chomskys view of competence, which deals primarily with abstract grammatical knowledge.Another linguistic theory of CLT is Hallidays functional account of language use. Halliday elaborated a powerful theory of the functions of language. He described seven basic function that language performs for children learning their L1:9Approach1. Instrumental function: using language to get things2. Regulatory function:using language to control the behavior of others3. Interactional function: using language to create interaction with others 4. Personal Function: using language to express personal feelings and meaning5. Heuristic function: using language to learn and to discover6. Imaginative function: using language to create a world of the imagination7. Representational function: using language to communicate information10ApproachLearning an L2 was viewed by proponents of CLT as acquiring the linguistic means to perform different kinds of functions.Functions/TopicsAsk questions to get to know your classmatesTalk about yourself Show you have something in commonFunctions/TopicsSay hello and good-bye Introduce yourselfExchange personal informationSpell namesThank peopleFunctions/ TopicsDescribe the weatherLeave phone MessagesTalk about sports and exercise Say hoe your week is going Give exercise advice#Approach Another influential analysis of communicative competence was found in Canale & Swain (1980), in which four dimensions of communicative competence are identified:

Grammatical CompetenceCommunicative CompetenceSociolinguistic CompetenceStrategic CompetenceDiscourse Competence11ApproachGrammatical competence: it is the domain of grammatical and lexical capacity.Sociolinguistic competence: an understanding of the social context in which communication takes place, including role relationships, the shared information of the participants, and the communicative purpose of the interaction Discourse competence: the interpretation of individual message elements in terms of their interconnectedness and of how meaning is represented in relationship to the entire discourse text.Strategic competence: refers to the coping strategies that communicators employ to initiate, terminate, maintain, repair, and redirect communication.12ApproachAt the level of language theory, CLT has a rich theoretical base. Some of the characteristics of this communicative view of language follow: language is a system for the expression of meaningthe primary goal of language is to allow interaction and communicationthe structure of language reflects its functional and communicative usesthe primary units of language are categories of functional and communicative meaning13ApproachTheory of LearningLittle has been written about learning theory in contrast to the amount of that has been written about CLT literature.Elements of an underlying learning theory can be discerned in some CLT practices as follows:One element is the communication principle: activities that involve real communication promote learning.Another element is the task principle: activities in which language is used for carrying out meaningful tasks promote learning.A third element is the meaningfulness principle: language that is meaningful to the learner supports the learning process.14ApproachAs a consequence, learning activities are selected based on how well they engage the learner in meaningful and authentic language use (rather than just mechanical practice of language patterns).Other accounts of CLT have attempted to describe theories of language learning processes that are compatible with CLT. Savignon (1983) surveys L2 acquisition research as a source for learning theories and considers the role of linguistic, social, cognitive, and individual variables in language acquisition.15Design ObjectivesThe following are levels of objectives in a communicative approach: An integrative and content level (language as a means of expression) A linguistic and instrumental level (language as a semiotic system and an object of learning) An affective level of interpersonal relationships and conduct (language as a means of expressing values and judgments about oneself and others)A level of individual learning needs (remedial learning based on error analysis) A general educational level of extra-linguistic goals (language learning within school curriculum)16Syllabus One of the first syllabus models to be proposed was described as a notional syllabus (Wilkins, 1976), which specified the semantic- grammatical categories and the categories of communicative function that learners need to express. The Council of Europe expanded and developed this into a syllabus that included the following: description of the objectives of FL courses, situations in which they might typically use an L2 (travel, business), topic they might need to talk about (education, shopping), functions they needed language for (requesting information, expressing agreement & disagreement), the notions made use of in communication (time, frequency, duration), as well as vocabulary and grammar needed.17Syllabus

#Types of learning and teaching activitiesThe range of exercise types and activities compatible with a communicative approach is unlimited.

18Types of learning and teaching activitiesExercises enable Ss to attain communicative objectives of the curriculum, engage Ss in communication, require the use of communicative processes like information sharing, negotiation of meaning, and interaction.Classroom activities are often designed to focus on completing tasks that are mediated through language or involve negotiation of information and information sharing.19Types of learning and teaching activities Classroom activities are often designed to focus on completing tasks that are mediated through language or involve negotiation of information and information sharing.

20Types of learning and teaching activities Littlewood (1981) distinguishes between functional communication activities and social interaction activities.

Social Interaction ActivitiesConversation and discussion sessions, dialogues, role plays, simulations , skits, imrovisations and debates. Functional Communication ActivitiesComparing sets of pictures and noting similarities and differences, discovering missing features in a map or picture.#Learner RolesThe learner is a negotiator (between himself, the learning process, and the object of learning). The implication is that the learner should contribute as much as he gains, and learn in an interdependent way. Ss are expected to interact primarily with each other rather than with the teacher. Ss give and receive information.

#Teachers RoleNeeds AnalystCounselor Group process managerCLT teacher assumes a responsibility for determining and responding to Ss language needsCLT teacher administer a needs assessment instrument to determine an individual's motivation for studying the language Based on the needs assessment results, CLT teacher plan instruction and activities that respond to Ss needsThe CLT teacher-counselor, as in the Community Language Learning, is expected to exemplify an effective communicator seeking to maximize the speaker intention and hearer interpretation through the use of paraphrase confirmation and feedback.CLT procedures require teachers to acquire less teacher-centered classroom management skills. CLT teacher organizes the classroom for communication and communicative activities#

#The Role Of Instructional MaterialsText-based materialsThere are numerous textbooks designed to direct and support CLT. Their table of contents suggest a kind of grading and sequencing of language practice.

#The Role Of Instructional MaterialsTask-based materials A variety of games, role plays, simulations, and task-based communication activities have been prepared to support CLT classes. They are in the form of exercise handbooks, cue cards, activity cards, and interaction booklets.

#The Role Of Instructional Materials RealiaMany proponents of CLThave advocated the use ofauthentic, from lifematerials in class. Theseinclude: signs, magazines,advertisements,newspapers, pictures,symbols.

#Procedure

#Pre-communicative Activities Aim: to give the learners fluent control over linguistic forms, so the learners will produce language which is acceptableFunction: to prepare the learner for later communication.The teacher may begin the teaching with a communicative activityPre-communicative activities: drills, question-and-answer practice#Communicative activitiesAims:(a) to provide "whole-task practice" (b) to improve motivation(c) to allow natural learning(d) to create a context which supports learning Functional communication activities: comparing sets of pictures and noting similarities and differences, following directions, discovering missing features in a map or picture Social interaction activities: conversation and discussion sessions, dialogues and role plays, simulations, debates#Conclusion CLT is best considered an approach rather than a method. Approach refers to a diverse set of principles that reflect a communicative view of language and language learning used to support a variety of classroom procedures.CLT has passed through a number of different phases to apply its principles to different dimensions of the teaching/learning process.

#ConclusionThe first phase was the need to develop a syllabus that was compatible with the notion of communicative competence. This led to proposals of syllabuses in terms of notions (a context in which people communicate) and functions (a specific purpose for a speaker in a given context). The second phase, CLT focused on procedures for identifying learners needs and this resulted in proposals to make needs analysis an essential component of communicative methodology. In the third phase, CLT focused on the kinds of classroom activities that could be used as the basis of a communicative methodology, such as group work, task-work, and information-gap activities.

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