Running head: THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND
The Communicative Approach in English as a Second Language Education
Lynn
Walden University
Instructional Design
EIDT 6100
Dr. Amy Peterson
February 05, 2012
1
THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND
2
The Communicative Approach for English as a Second Language Education
The Communicative Approach to teach English as a Second Language is a highly
effective tool within the ESL classroom. This approach will be used to educate the instructors in
the US and Honduras on how to actively engage students in English as a Second Language
classrooms. “The Communicative movement in applied linguistics was rooted in the idea that
language teaching should be based on how language is used in the real world. Also that
language classes should be more responsive to the needs of students seeking to acquire a new
language. This new way of thinking was in line with the Progressive moment in education at the
time. Textbooks are used as a starting point in Communicative classrooms, but the focus in on
developing functional, usable language to prepare students to interact in a variety of everyday
situations. The curriculum is generally student-oriented and every effort is made to allow
student needs and interests to influence course content.” (Oxford Seminars, 2009, p. 7)
The instructors from the US and Honduras in this module will receive an initial overview
of the Communicative Lesson Plan, participate in small groups for 10 minutes and design a
lesson plan. The group will be given all the materials necessary to expedite and develop a short
lesson plan. The educators will understand the basic components of a lesson plan for the English
as a Second Language learner and how to facilitate it within the classroom. The lesson plan
below is designed with the Communicative Approach and the use of the ADDIE model; analysis,
design, development, implementation, and evaluation. (Morrison, Ross, Kalman, & Kemp, 2011)
This segment of the module will complete the objective, “Given the design of the
Communicative Approach for the English as a Second Language learner, the educators in
Honduras and the US will effectively design and implement English as a Second Language
THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND
3
lessons that actively engage beginner level students within a classroom.”
("justoutsideyourBACKDOOR," 2012)
The Communicative Approach Lesson Plan
…always engage study & activate
Assessment
There are many assessments used to determine the academic level of the
English as a Second Language student. The TOEFL & ILETS tests evaluate academic
levels of the ESL student as criteria as required admittance during immigration,
universities, and careers worldwide. Tests such as the Michigan Test help
determine the grade level an ESL student is proficient in for the teacher to
determined instructional material to be used in the classroom. Cultural Intelligence
should be used to determine the student’s needs and desires within the English as a
Second Language classroom.
What tests and assessments will be used:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Design
The Lesson Objective
The objective must clearly define what the student will be able to do by the end of the
lesson. It is specific, level appropriate, and contributes to meeting your educational
goals for that lesson.

Objective
The objective contains three parts; 1) an observable and measurable behavior
2) it specifies the conditions under which the behavior will be exhibited 3) an
evaluation criterion for judging the acceptable performance or proficiency of
the behavior. (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008)
Examples: 1) On weekly written vocabulary test, the student will correctly spell at
least 85% of the year’s 550 academic lexicon. 2) Given the formula for a correlation
coefficient, the student will correctly compute test-retest reliability, with differences
from a computer-calculated coefficient being attributable to rounding-off errors.
THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND
4
 Specific Theme____________________________________________________
The Theme is the focus of the Communicative Lesson Plan. Pick area the theme is
centralized around:
Reading __________ Listening__________ Speaking__________ Writing___________
Pick the learners ESL level:
Beginner____________ Intermediate ____________ Advanced _____________

Objective____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Development
Learning Materials and Technology Development
List all materials developed & created by the instructor for the students to activate
learning with the above objectives in mind.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Implementation
Engage
An ESL lesson should be engaging, challenging and fun.
 Warmer
A warmer is teacher centered & set the stage for the lesson. 10 seconds to 1 minute
in length. _____________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Engage Activity
A student centered activity, focused on the theme, 2 to 3 minutes in length. Engage &
excite the students on a physical, mental & emotional level. Ex. a game, interactive
activity. ______________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND
5
Study & Instruction
Example:
Lexis
To hurt
Method
Model Pronunciation
mime
pronounce & repeat 3xs
CCQ
What do you
take when
your head
hurts?
a. The Reading & Listening Passage
The reading or listening passage used later during activate supports your objective,
your theme and determines the lexis used for the lesson.
b. Lexis
For a reading or listening lesson pick the lexis or vocabulary words to be included.
Beginner 5-8 words, Intermediate 8-12 words, Advanced 12-14 words
Noun: a, an or some
ex. some apples, an ambulance, a book
Verb: to
ex. to drive, to prepare
Adjective & Adverbs (Example: beautiful, big)
1. _______________________________________
8. _______________________________________
2. _______________________________________
9. _______________________________________
3. _______________________________________ 10. _______________________________________
4. _______________________________________ 11. _______________________________________
5. _______________________________________ 12. _______________________________________
6. _______________________________________ 13. _______________________________________
7. _______________________________________ 14. _______________________________________
c. Method
Pick from the following methods to introduce the vocabulary:
Realia
________________________________________________________________________
Pictures
________________________________________________________________________
Drawing
________________________________________________________________________
Antonyms
________________________________________________________________________
Synonyms
________________________________________________________________________
Mime
________________________________________________________________________
Sound
________________________________________________________________________
TPR
________________________________________________________________________
Points/Scale
________________________________________________________________________
Cuisenaire Rods
________________________________________________________________________
Other
________________________________________________________________________
d. Model Pronunciation
Instructor pronounces/models each word distinctly & student repeats. Do this 3xs.
e. Concept Check Question
THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND
6
The CCQ includes the lexis presented but it is not a definition of the lexis. Ask the
CCQ after each lexis presented and repeated 3xs. The CCQ should not be a yes or no
question. Example: “Where do you swim?” Swim is the lexis.
The CCQ polishes listening skills and checks for listening comprehension.
The question asks what, when, where, who, how or why.
f. Print Lexis on the Board
Print lexis in lower case letters on the board unless it’s a proper noun.
Example: to go, to hurry, aggressively, some cars, handsome, a store, etc.
g. Repeat Steps A-E Above for Each Lexis Introduced
Evaluate
Activate
Observe the student’s mastery of the lesson taught.
Erase the board but leave the pics, drawings, realia, etc. on the board.
 Student Writes the Lexis in his Notebook
 Quick Review of Lexis
Point to pic and the student repeats the lexis for a short review.
 Ask a Gist Question
The purpose of a Gist Question is to give the student reason to listen or read the
passage or audible material in the following activity.
It also helps the instructor evaluate the student’s comprehension of the material.
The Gist Question supports the reading or listening passage.
Introduce a new character to the student if it’s included in the passage.
Ask the Gist Question orally and then write it on the board.
Gist Question ______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
 Reading & Listening Passage

Pick a reading or listening passage that supports your objective, your theme and
includes the lexis for the lesson.
Reading: The student reads the passage twice, silently to himself. He underlines the
words he doesn’t know. (For homework the student may review the words he doesn’t know.)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Listening: Play a tape, CD, or laptop repeatedly up to five times if needed.
___________________________________________________________________________________
 Answer the Gist Question
Ask the Gist Question & if no one can answer it the lesson taught is too difficult.
Reinforce
THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND
7
The activities below support & reinforce the reading and listening material, the lexis and
the stated objectives for this lesson. The activities should progress from the easiest to
difficult.
 Supporting Activities
1. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Closure
 Conversation Activity
The objective is to allow the student to express his own life experiences, opinions,
thoughts, & ideas about the themes in this lesson. Its 100% student based.
It’s a 15-20 minute long conversation activity designed for pairs of students. To
extend the length of the activity, have the students change partners.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Extension Activity

Supporting Activities
The supporting activities include reading, listening, conversation, phonics, and
grammar. Your lesson can include an extension activity or homework as you access
the time & need.
1.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
2.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
4.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
5.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
6.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
7.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
8.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Materials
__________________________________________________________________________________
THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
8
THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND
9
References
(Ed.). (2009). Section A. TESOL/TEFL Certification Course Training Manual (p. 7). Don Mills,
Ontario: Oxford University Press.
Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., Kalman, H. K., & Kemp, J. E. (2011). What is Instructional
Design? In Designing Effective Instruction (pp. 13-). United States: John Wiley & Sons,
Inc.
justoutsideyourBACKDOOR. (2012). In justoutsideyourBACKDOOR. Retrieved February, 5,
2012, from http://justoutsideyourBACKDOOR.wikispaces.com