Communicative approach views language as system for communication. The goal of language teaching in this approach is that learners are able to communicate in the target language. It will include semantic and social function, not only linguistics structures. In communicative approach, there is inter relatedness of skills, not only in written and oral, but also in the need to have experience of communication, to participate in negotiation of meaning. Language has seen many changes and we may group trends in language teaching in the last 50 years into three phases.
Phase 1 : Traditional Approaches (up to the late 1960s)
Prior to the twentieth century, language teaching methodology vacillated between two approaches: getting learners to use language vs getting learners to analyze a language. During the renaissance, the formal study like grammar was very popular supported by the mass production of books. Traditional approaches in this phase also gave priority to grammatical competence as the basis of language proficiency. Grammar could be learned through direct instruction and methodology that use repetitive practice and drilling. There were two approaches in teaching grammar:
• Deductive : students are presented with rule s to practice.
• Inductive : students are given examples containing rules to work with.
Techniques that employed in this phase are: memorization of dialogs, question and answer practice, substitution drill, and various forms of guided speaking and writing practice. One of the grammar based methodology known as P-P-P cycle:
• Presentation : presentation of a new grammar structure.
• Practice : students practice using the new structure in controlled context.
• Production : students practice using their own content or information.
Under the influence of CLT theory, grammar based methodology such as P-P-P cycle has been replaced by fluency based on interactive small-group work.
Phase 2 : Classic Communicative Language Teaching (1970s to 1990s)
In the 1970s the traditional language teaching approaches fell out of fashion. People began to question the centrality of grammar and shifted their attention to the knowledge and skill to use grammar for communicative purposes. What was used was communicative competence which was answered by CLT as a new approach to language teaching in 70s and 80s. The communicative competence consisting of : grammatical competence, Discourse competence, Sociocultural competence, and strategic competence. The first one refers to sentence level grammatical forms, the ability to recognize lexical, morphological, syntactic, and phonological feature. Discourse competence is concerned with the interconnectedness of a series of utterances, words or phrases from text. Sociocultural competence extends well beyond linguistics forms and the social rule. It was argued that a syllabus should identify the language aspect to develop the learner’s communicative competence.
1. The purpose for which learner whishes to acquire the target language, for example : English for business purposes.
2. Setting in which they will use the language, for example: in office, in a store.
3. The social role assumed, fro example: as traveler, as a sales person.
4. The communicative events in which the learner will participate, like everyday situation, academic situation.
5. The language functions such as making introductions, giving explanations.
6. The notions or concept involved, like leisure, finance, history.
7. The skill involved in “knitting together” discourse role and rhetorical skills for storytelling, giving presentation, and so on.
8. The variety that will be needed (American, Australian, or British English )
9. The grammar content.
10. The lexical content.
New syllabus type which proposed by advocates of CLT:
• A skill-based syllabus: focuses on the four skills and breaks them into their micro skills.
• A functional syllabus: organized according to the functions that should be carried out by students.
Phase 3: Current Communicative Language Teaching
There are ten core assumption of current CLT:
1. Second language learning is facilitated when learners are engaged in interaction and meaningful communication.
2. Effective classroom learning tasks provide opportunities for students to develop communication.
3. Meaningful communication result from students processing content that is relevant, purposeful, interesting, and engaging.
4. Communication is a holistic process that often calls upon the use of several language skills or modalities.
5. Language learning facilitated by activities that involves inductive rules of language and language analysis and reflection.
6. Language learning is a gradual process.
7. Learners develop their own routes to language learning.
8. Successful language learning involves the use of effective learning and communication strategies.
9. Teacher has role as a facilitator in classroom.
10. Classroom is a community where learners learn through collaboration and sharing.
Characteristics of CLT classroom activities:
• Grammar is not taught in isolation but arises out of a communicative task.
• Use problem solving, information sharing, and role play.
• Provide opportunities for both inductive and deductive grammar.
• Use content that connect to students’ life and interest.
• Allow students to personalize learning.
• Use authentic texts to create interest and provide valid models.
Key components of the shift toward CLT are focus on:
1. The role of learners rather than the external stimuli.
2. The learning process rather than the product.
3. Social nature rather than the external on students as separate.
4. Diversity among learners and view this as resource to be recognized and appreciated.
5. The view of those internal to the classroom rather than those who come from outside.
6. Connecting the school with the world beyond.
7. Help students to understand the purpose of learning and develop their own purpose.
8. A whole-to-part orientation instead of a part-to-whole approach.
References:
• Celce – Murcia, M. 2001. Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language Third Edition. Unit 1. Teaching Methodology, Topic 1 & Topic 2
• Richard, J.C. 2005. Communicative Language Teaching Today. New York: Cambridge University Press
