Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

MERY ARIANSYAH

Fourth Semester of English Department

1235511179

Summary of The Twelfth Meeting on June 26, 2014

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

o   CLT can be understood as a set of principles about the goals of language teaching, how learners learn a language, the kinds of classroom activities that best facilitate learning, and the roles of teachers and learners in the classroom.

CLT is a language teaching method developed from the prior methods such as Situational Language Teaching and Audio Lingual methods.

One of the characteristics of CLT is the combination between functional and structural aspects. Structurally, CLT emphasizes on grammar or language structure, while functionally CLT emphasizes on the language usage.

CLT also emphasizes on situation. In CLT there are integrated skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking, vocabulary, and  grammar).

o   The Background

The origins of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) are to be found in the changes in the British language teaching tradition dating from the late 1960s.

o   The Underlying Reason

Linguists saw the need to focus in language teaching on communicative proficiency rather than mere mastery of structures.

o   The Objective of CLT

Students will learn:

•      how to use the language as a means to express something

•      how to use the language to express their ideas and thoughts.

•      how to express the most suitable expressions in real communication.

•      CLT makes use of almost every activity involving learners in a authentic communication.

o   The goal of Communicative language teaching is communicative competence (CC). Communicative competence is the ability to use the target  language communicatively.

o   The Notions of C.C

C.C. includes the following aspects of language knowledge:

1.      Knowing how to use language for a range of different purposes and functions

2.      Knowing how to vary our use of language according to the setting and the participants

3.      Knowing how to produce and understand different types of texts(e.g., narratives, reports, interviews, conversations)

4.      Knowing how to maintain communication despite having limitations in one’s language knowledge (e.g., through using different kinds of communication strategies)

o   The Characteristics of CLT

1.      Meaning is paramount.

2.      Dialogs, if used, center around communicative functions and are not normally memorized.

3.      Contextualization is a basic premise.

4.      Language learning is learning to communicate.

5.      Effective communication is sought.

6.      Drilling may occur, but peripherally.

7.      Comprehensible pronunciation is sought.

8.      Any device which helps the learners is accepted - varying according to their age, interest, etc.

9.      Translation may he used where students need or benefit from it.

10.  The target linguistic system will be learned best through the process of struggling to communicate.

11.  Communicative competence is the desired goal (i.e. the ability to use the linguistic system effectively and appropriately).

12.  Teachers help learners in any way that motivates them to work with the language.

13.  Language is created by the individual often through trial and error.

14.  Students are expected to interact with other people, either in the flesh, through pair and group work, or in their writings.

o   Eight Principles of CLT

Berns (1990, 104) provides a useful summary of eight principles of CLT:

1.      Language teaching is based on a view of language as communication.

2.      Diversity is recognized and accepted as part of language development

3.      A learner’s competence is considered in relative, not in absolute, terms.

4.       More than one variety of a language is recognized as a viable model for learning and teaching.

5.      Culture is recognized as instrumental in shaping speakers’ communicative competence, in both their first and subsequent languages.

6.      No single methodology or fixed set of techniques is prescribed.

7.      Language use is recognized as serving ideational, interpersonal, and textual functions and is related to the development of learners’ competence in each.

8.       It is essential that learners be engaged in doing things with language—that is, that they use language for a variety of purposes in all phases of learning.

o   Grammar in CLT

•      Canale and Swain (1980) did not suggest that grammar was unimportant.

•      Savignon (1971) study did not suggest that teachers forsake grammar instruction.