CONFLUENCE
26 February 2011
The Communicative approach in learning English language in 21st century
Dr(Mrs) Garima Sharma
Mrs. Preeti Sharma
Mangalayatan University Aligarh(UP)
Abstract:
"Learners learn best when engrossed in the topic, motivated to seek out new knowledge and skills because
they need them in order to solve the problem at hand." In order to focus learner-centered education the
learners should be fully engaged and the focus must be on the needs, skills, and interests of the learner.
The recent development in the field of language teaching is the Communicative Approach. Basically it
aims to develop learners’ communicative competence. As we know very well that our existing teaching
approaches and methods develop in the learners just to create the ability to compose correct sentences.
Today it is the age of Communication and Information. In today’s dynamic and corporate world
,certainly, with the growing importance of English in communication and travel, there is an increasing
importance attached to a good knowledge of English in the employment market at the national and
international level in this economic world. English language has important utility values in today’s
economic construction, culture, and education fields. Communication Skills are fundamental to all
relationship and a key to business and academic success. After all the best ideas are worthless, if they are
not understood well. We are not supposed to communicate just by composing sentences of different kinds
but by using sentences to describe, record, classify and so on, or to ask questions, make request, order,
seek and impart information etc. The main aim of the language teacher should be to make his/her students
structurally competent and to produce grammatically correct sentences.
Introduction:
A Communicative Approach ?
The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn,
unlearn, and relearn.
Alvin Toffler
Communicative language teaching (CLT) is an approach to the teaching of second and foreign languages
that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of learning a language. There are a
variety of approaches to teaching English as a second or foreign language. One aspect of English and
foreign language teaching involves using a Communicative Approach. But what exactly does using a
communicative approach mean? Applying these aspects means that language teaching and learning
become far more than a series of grammar lessons and vocabulary lists. For language teaching and
learning to be truly communicative, it must not only be in context, but used to convey ideas, preferences,
thoughts, feelings and information in a way that is addressed to reach others. This article refers to the way
teachers can focus the teaching of the foreign language in the classroom in such a way that students can
communicate in a conscious way, taking into account their real experiences. Here, the origin of the
communicative approach as a combination of different methods is clearly explained, as such as the role of
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the teacher and the students in communicative English as a second language class. Mainly communicative
approach provides opportunities in the classroom for their students to engage in real-life communication
in the target language. Now the question arises where it came from? It is said that it is the product of
educators and linguists who had grown dissatisfied with the audio-lingual and grammar-translation
methods of foreign language instruction. Actually they felt that students were not learning enough
realistic. They do not know how to communicate-style teaching mushroomed in the 1970s. It makes use
of real-life situations that necessitate communication. Here the teacher sets up a situation that students are
likely to encounter in real life. While in audio-lingual method of language teaching, which relies on
repetition drills, the communicative approach leaves students in suspense as to the outcome of a class
exercise, which will vary according to their reactions and responses. These real-life simulations change
from day to day.
How the role of a teacher and student changes in Communicative Language Teaching
Teachers in communicative classrooms will find themselves talking less and listening more-becoming
active facilitators of their students’ learning. The teacher sits at the back and observe, sometimes acting as
referee or monitor. The students are supposed to do most of the speaking, and frequently the class is
active. As the students get responsibility to participate, students may find gain confidence in using the
target language in general. The ‘structure’ of the language does not mean the ‘grammar’ of the language.
A teacher of English should be clear as to the structure of English. We never realise that we are using
structural English in our daily lives. If there is no structure, we will present our materials in an un
organized and unintelligent way. Knowledge of different sentence patterns allows everyone to
comprehend and apply the various structures habitually in his/her spoken and written English. This will
lessen the tendency to make mistakes. The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) Approach has its
benefits but it is not the sole method to learn the English language. It is not my intention to disapprove the
CLT approach. More so now in the globalised era where English is the lingua franca in trade, commerce
and business opportunities.
But unless we shed our reluctance to speak any language other than English, the potential of this
renaissance may not take hold, and we could lose our edge. Learning languages boosts brain
development. Studies have shown that child bilingualism helps kids to expand their parameters of
language and their cognitive ability. They have an open mind and more empathy, and they are constantly
trying to make a connection. The brain is about connectivism. They are always trying to analyze and
compare so they can plug in new information."The learning-teaching strategies used in the classroom
setting ought to be a mixture of meta-cognitive, cognitive and socio-affective strategies to attend all the
students’ requirements. Following the approach that explains that in our brains information is organised in
schemata, vocabulary as well as grammar ought to be learned in context. The individual mind will make
connections quicker and easier whenever knowledge is presented in concrete situations. This is also what
Situational Language Teaching claims. Following the approach that explains that in our brains
information is organised in schemata, vocabulary as well as grammar ought to be learned in context. The
individual mind will make connections quicker and easier whenever knowledge is presented in concrete
situations. This is also what Situational Language Teaching claims.The four skills: reading, writing,
listening or speaking are equally significant, so, while planning the lesson material, this should be taken
into account and different balanced activities focussing on the different skills should be developed. This
balanced incidence on all skills, though, depends on each student and his/her reasons to learn a language;
this is why a teacher could emphasise one upon the others. In a secondary school setting, all the skills
should have the same consideration because, even though individuals might have preferences, all the four
skills are to be improved according to the Curriculum Project.
Classroom Techniques for Communicative Teaching
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The learners should perceive English not as a dead classroom language but as a useful language to do
things. Curriculum globalization, meaning including as many subjects as possible in the planning of the
English syllabus, should be fostered. Communicative teaching proposes the following classroom
techniques just as structural teaching of English makes use of a set of techniques to teach the structures of
English Language.
1- Group Work- It has been thought of as one of the best methods for initiating communicative
activities. The objective is to help the learners use the new language function in a small group,
talk to one another, ask questions, find patterns that will constitute the correct answers, reorganize
the answers
2- Pair-Work-It is another a very effective device for initiating communicative activities.. Here the
class will be divided into groups of two as they are reacted in the class. Inter-questioning as a
technique is the best for pair work. The greatest advantage of pair-work is that it is a very simple
method that the whole class is active & every individual gets involvement.
3- Role play-It is a dramatic technique. It enables the learners to simulate in the classroom situations
and activities for which the native speaker uses English in their real life situations.
4- Miming-Miming and role play have things in common. Here the teacher guides the imitation by
the student or does the imitation himself/herself while at the same time, a student is asked to
interpret and say what is being done.
5- Dramatization-It includes variety of activities right from simple enactment of piece of
conversation up to same form in which whole short theme can be handled.
6- Listen & Say-The tape recorder can be brought to the aid of communicative language teaching,
either as part of the regular language laboratory or in the regular classroom.
Conclusion
Communication Skills are fundamental to all relationship and a key to business and academic success.
After all the best ideas are worthless, if they are not understood well. We are not supposed to
communicate just by composing sentences of different kinds but by using sentences to describe, record,
classify and so on, or to ask questions, make request, order, seek and impart information etc. the
communicative approach is deemed a success if the teacher understands the student. But, if the teacher is
from the same region as the student, the teacher will understand errors resulting from an influence from
their first language. Native speakers of the target language may still have difficulty understanding them.
The main aim of the language teacher should be to make his/her students structurally competent and to
produce grammatically correct sentences. We are at a pivotal point in what is increasingly called worldlanguage education, poised to regain a measure of competitiveness with innovative tools and programs
that promote cross cultural understanding.
References
1- Mukalel, Joseph C (1998) Approaches To English Language Teaching.
2- Paliwal, AK (2008) Teaching of English.
3- Structural Approach vs Communicative Approach, by genuine English in Teaching Methods, Aug 10
2010
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