Communicative Language Teaching sees meaningful communication as the goal whereas Task-based
learning takes it a bit further, so students need to communicate in order to achieve or do a
meaningful task. Both acknowledge the importance of real authentic meaningful communication as
a way to learn a language. After all in real everyday life, we use language to express ourselves and
get things done.
Using CLT helps learners develop communicative competence using meaningful activities that gives
priority to meaning and comprehension. It enhances learners’ confidence. It gives them a chance to
express themselves fully. Lots of exposure to content words and functional language gives the
learners a chance to use English in a way that is similar to their L1; meaningfully.
In my experience communicative activities are easy to design but quite challenging and time
consuming to implement. The principles of CLT sometimes goes in direct contrast with curriculums in
my country where the tests students are about to take dictates what happens in class. As such
speaking, for example, is one of the least focused on skill in almost all schools that teach English a
second language. Communicative activities might come across to students and parents as too fun
and spontaneous to be related to their learning.
On the other hand, because TBL specifically requires the learners to use a certain TL. it is, I believe,
hard to design. It is hard to design a task that would require a specific TL use. Learners are very
resourceful, and they can come up with as many ways to perform a task as there can be. This
sometimes happen without even the need to use the TL. The fact that the students finally presented
the task does not necessarily mean they went exactly through the stage the teacher had in mind. It
also requires a certain kind of mindset, curriculum and general attitude to learning. Parents might
consider it as a good idea if it is not part of their kids’ formal education.
Here is an example of a communicative activity. It is a class debate about “women’s right for an
equal salary to men if they are doing the same job”.
Pre task:
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Class is divided to in favour and those against the motion.
Teacher make sure the students know which functional language to use; agreeing and
disagreeing and the polite language for interruptions.
Students take their time brainstorming for ideas
Teacher swaps roles before the discussion began. Those in favour become against and vice
versa.
Class decides on how the debate will go. Either point by point or one group lists their
arguments and then the other try to defeat them.
A negotiated rubric of correction is created with the students.
A success criterion is established: convincing arguments in addition to use of debate
expressions.
Students are given 20 minutes to prep for the debate
During -task:
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Teacher goes around and make sure students are on task.
Gives help and advice when necessary.
Post- task:
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Teacher says the motion and asks the group not in favour to start the debate.
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Debate goes on and teacher makes sure that everyone involved is using the rubric to award
or deduct points.
A winner team is announced
Teacher goes through students’ language mistakes and correct them (error correction slot).