COMMUNICATIVE
APPROACH
The main goal of learning a foreign language is successful
communication. This means that when you speak, others
understand you and you understand them.
The language I have learnt these forty years,
My native English, now I must forgo,
And now my tongue’s use is to me no more
Than an unstringed viol or harp.
Or like a cunning instrument cas’d upOr being open put into his hands
That knows no touch to tune the harmony.
Within my mouth you have engaol’d my tongue,
Double portcullis’d with my teeth and lips,
And dull unfeeling barren ignorance
Is made my gaoler to attend on me.
I am too old to fawn upon a nurse,
Too far in years to be a pupil now.
(Shakespeare: Richard II, Act 1, Scene 3)
•Because of his age, Mowbray feels that he will never again be able to
express himself in a new language to the same degree that he was able in
his native tongue.
Objectives
 To gain a better understanding of the main
approaches, language teaching methods and
techniques associated with them.
 To become more aware of current views on
communication, language, and language
learning.
 To be able to make informed choices of
modern methods and techniques appropriate
for their teaching situation.
History
Grammar Translation Method
 In the middle of the 19th century, modern
languages taught in the way Latin and Greek were
taught, language viewed as a system of rules,
theory of learning-didactic (jug & mug). Goalacademic knowledge about language, literature,
philosophy, language learning is a means of
mental training.
Direct Method
 Appeared in the 1920s as a response to growing
trade and international contacts. Based on no
single theory of language, through the
development of phonology contributed to its
appearance. Natural theory of learning (like a child
learning Mother tongue) through direct
association of foreign language and objects. Its
goal is rapid practical command of a language.
Audio-Lingual Method
 Made its appearance in 1950s, resulting from the
need for a more intensive method to teach foreign
languages. Based on the structuralist view of
language and behaviorist learning theory
(stimulus-response). Learning is habit-formation
through repetition and positive reinforcement.
Goad- to master the whole language, to present
the learners with an accurate model of the
language.
Communicative Approach
 The communicative approach appeared in the early 1970s
as a reaction to criticism of audio-lingual method with its
limited view of language and learning.
 The major developments in Theories of Languages - shift
from the structural view of language to the emphasis of the
viewpoint that language is a means of communication in
the first place.
 Cognitive code theory: learning is not just learning of
habits, but also an active mental process. Learner is
responsible for learning and using a language.
 Second language acquisition theory: emphasis is on
comprehensible input-language is acquired by
understanding messages. Language learning comes
through using language communicatively.
Grammar
Translation
Direct Method
Audio-Lingual
Communicative Approach
Typical Exercise
Types
•Writing
translations
•Memorizing
•Questions &Answers
•Describe a picture
•Imitation
•Drills
•Substitution tables
•Dialogue memorization
•Information-gap
•Problem solving
•Role playing
•Simulations
Role of Teacher
•Dominant
•Source of info
•Ultimate
authority
•Model to be followed
and imitated
•Provider of stimuli and
reinforcement
•Drill-master
•Facilitator
•Informant
•Consultant
•Manager
Attitude to Error
•Negative
•Must be
immediately
corrected
•Seen as students’
carelessness
•Accuracy is to be
achieved
•Teacher provides
students with a chance to
self-correct
•Attempts all to avoid mistakes
•Mistakes form wrong linguistic
habits
•Learners encouraged to take
risks
•Errors are inevitable, they
are learning steps.
Attitude to Mother
Tongue
•Mother tongue
used for
instruction,
explanation,
comparison, and
translation.
•Little use of mother
tongue
•Translation is outlawed
•Mother tongue avoided
•Mother tongue used
occasionally, when necessary
Criticism of Method
•Little experience
in speaking
•Lack of comm.
skills
•Underestimated role of
reading and writing
•Counterproductive
prohibition of mother
tongue
•Meaning is often irrelevant
•Lack of flexibility
•Overestimated role of drilling
•Lack of accuracy due to
focus on fluency
Method Strengths
•Strength in
knowledge of
Grammar Rules
•Strong emphasis
in reading and
writing
•Strong in listening and
speaking
•More natural and similar
to learning mother
tongue
•Strong in speaking and listening
•Repetition and reinforcement
good for certain learners
•Integrated approach
•Promotes higher motivation
•Real communication
Research
 Learning another language may be the most
ubiquitous of human intellectual activities
after the acquisition of the mother tongue. It
is therefore not surprising that research in
this field has become one of the exciting
frontiers of cognition science.
Theory
The need for meaningfulness in language learning has
been accepted for some years. A useful interpretation of
‘meaningfulness’ is that the learner respond to the
content in a definite way. If they are amused, angered,
challenged, intrigued, or surprised the content is clearly
meaningful to them. Thus the meaning of the language
they listen to, read, speak, and write will be more vividly
experience and, therefore, better remembered.
Practical Application
Administrative
Considerations
Logical
Considerations
Instructional
Considerations
Needs
Assessment
Psychological
Considerations
Learning
Objectives
Methodology
Method Approach
in Design
Procedure
Materials
Program Design
Evaluation
Practical Application Cont’d
 Questions of immediate concern will focus on
who the learners are, what their current level of
language proficiency is, what sort of
communicative needs they have, the
circumstances in which they will be using English
in the future, and so on.
 Curriculum development requires needs analysis,
development of goals and objectives, selection
of teaching and learning activities, and
evaluation of the outcomes of the language
program.
References
 Books:

Communicative Approach:
 Betteridge, David; Buckby, Michael; et. Al. Games for Language Learning.
Cambridge University Press. 1993.- Complete Text
 Littlewood, William. Communicative Language Learning. Cambridge
University Press. 1981.- Chapter 3 Communicative Activities.
 Richards, Jack C; Rodgers, Theodore S. Approaches and Methods in
Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press. 1986.- Chapter 5
Communicative Language Teaching

Testing:
 Bachman, Lyle F. Fundamental Considerations in Language Testing. Oxford
University Press. 1990.- Complete Text
 Spolsky, Bernard. Measured Words. Oxford University Press. 1995.Complete Text
 Internet Links:



www.apenglishlanguage.org
www.homeworktips.about.com
http://www.philselfsupport.com
Conclusion
 It has been said that teachers who have been
teaching for twenty years may be divided into
two categories:
 those with twenty years’ experience and
 those with one year’s experience repeated twenty
times.
In other words, sheer time on the job does not ensure fruitful
experience and professional progress. Successful teachers
are those who continue to develop throughout their
professional lives.