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PEDAGOGY AND EDUCATION
UDC
Abilova Nigar Namig
English teacher at Foreign Languages department
Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction, Republic of Azerbaijan
COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING APPROACH
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is one of the teaching methods which
focused on developing learners’ communicative competence. This method was
established in the 1960s. The communicative approach is based on the idea that the
learning language successfully comes through having to communicate real meaning.
In this approach, students are given tasks to accomplish using language instead of
studying the language. When learners are involved in real communication, their natural
strategies for language acquisition will be used, and this will allow them to learn to use
the language. Classroom activities guided by communicative approach are
characterized by trying to produce meaningful and real communication at all levels.
Lessons are more learner-centered.
Unlike the audio-lingual method of language teaching, which relies on repetition and
drills, the communicative approach can leave students in suspense as to the outcome of a
class exercise, which will vary according to their reaction and responses. The real-life
situation change every day; therefore, the students’ learning motivation comes from their
desire to communicate in the ways and topics which they are interested in. The teacher’s
role is as a facilitator who motivates and facilitates the students to speak during the
completion of these tasks. Teacher is an advisor who answers the questions of the students
and monitors their performance, also engage in the activities of the students but the
learners are responsible and manager of their own learning [1].
In CLT, language is taught in the way as it is used in everyday life. Students are
not supposed to memorize language. Grammatical accuracy is important but our main
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focus should be made on effective communication. CLT aims at the development of
the other three competencies as well: socio-linguistic, discourse and strategic
competence [2].
CLT is an approach rather than a theory [3,4]. Unlike traditional theories, the CLT
approach provides a large range of flexibilities and opportunities which both teachers
and learners can exercise from time to time [5].
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, a large number of language teachers
believed the traditional concepts of language learning were unable to respond to the
demands of students [6,7]. For example, many advocated that learning social terms,
interpersonal and intercultural interactions were as important, as learning grammar and
vocabulary [8]. In addition, language learning does not only mean training and
language skills, but also concentrating on the ability to communicate. In other words,
the communicative approach is, at the core of the teaching process, the process of
communication [9].
Nowadays, the CLT approach tends to be a student-centered concept rather than
a teacher-centered concept. The responsibility of the teacher in the classroom is to lead
the communication between students via the effective learning tasks. Usually, the
students are allowed to have interpersonal interaction, to share and exchange peer
examinations and share contributions between each other. For example, in order to
increase the opportunities for language speaking and sharing, many CLT advocators
tend to employ role-play activities [10], presentations between groups and classmates
[11], problem-based learning [12,13] technological-assisted strategies and visual-only
video teaching strategies [14,15], which allow students, classmates, peers, and even
teachers to merge into the teaching and learning environment.
In CLT, games, role plays, group work, pair work, etc. play an important role as
they have certain feature in common to learn language effectively. Teachers select
learning activities according to the interest of the learners and engage them in
meaningful and authentic language use. It is important to have a classroom climate that
encourages students to say what they really think. Moreover, working in groups makes
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it possible for students to help one another. In successful groups the interaction
achieves far more than individuals can working on their own.
Although many teaching and learning methodologies and strategies are available
for teachers to handle and arrange their classroom environments, teachers should
always employ the appropriate teaching and learning methodologies and strategies
based on the needs and expectations of their students.
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