ELT 213 APPROACHES TO ELT I Communicative Language Teaching Week 11 Assist. Prof. Dr. Seden Eraldemir Tuyan

Methods before 1970s mostly focused on linguistic structures and they aimed to teach students to communicate in L2. However, Ss could not use what they learned outside of the classroom (when they genuinely communicate). Why? ‘Linguistic competence’ was too limited. Linguistic competence doesn't justify social and functional rules of the language. Communication requires communicative competence: “Knowing when and how to say what to whom”

Communicative Language Teaching Focuses on language as a medium of communication. Recognizes that all communication has a social purpose - learner has something to say or find out. Communication includes a whole spectrum of functions e.g. seeking information/ apologizing/ expressing likes and dislikes notions e.g. apologizing for being late /asking where the nearest post office is

All these functions happen inside a social context. Wilkin’s Functional Notional Approach forms the basis of Communicative Approach.

Observations and Principles 1. T gives a handout: sports column from a recent newspaper. Authentic language in real context 2. Ss talk about what the writer might mean. Ability to figure out someone’s intentions: communicative competence

3. All the instructions in the target language Language: a vehicle for communication, not the object of study (language for communication) 4. Ss restate the reporter’s predictions in different words One function can have different linguistic forms: the goal is to convey meaning with any possible and suitable form. Focus is on communication, not on mastery of language forms

5. Ss unscramble the sentences of the article. Language use at discourse (text) or suprasentential (above the sentence) levels. Ss learn coherence & cohesion. 6. Ss play a language game The importance of games as real communication: there is a purpose to the exchange; speaker receives immediate feedback and can negotiate meaning

7. Ss are asked how they feel about their predictions Opportunities for self expression 8. T ignores a student’s mistake Errors are natural outcome of development of communication skills. If the focus of activity is on fluency, no correction; but T takes notes and returns to it later

9. T gives each group a strip story and a task to perform Establishment of situations are used to promote communication 10. Ss work with a partner for the strip story Cooperation and team work as a chance to negotiate meaning

11. Ss do a role play Social context is essential to give meaning to utterances 12. One student is the boss and they should talk accordingly Language forms with respect to social communicative norms are important

13. T goes to groups to offer advice and answer questions The teacher is facilitator while setting up and advisor during communicative activities 14. Ss suggest alternative forms while predicting In communication there is a choice about what to say (linguistic competence) and how to say it (communicative one)

15. After role play Ss elicit relevant vocabulary Grammar and vocabulary follow from functions, situational context and roles of the interlocutors 16. Homework: listening to a debate on radio or TV Opportunities such as listening to authentic language should be given

Reviewing the Principles Goals of the Ts: To develop communicative competence in the learners. Form, meaning and function are all crucial Ss should know that: many different forms are used to perform a function, a single form can serve as a variety of functions Ss should manage to negotiate meaning with their interlocutors

Role of Ts & Ss: Teacher is Facilitator of learning process: promoting communication Advisor during activities: answering students’ questions and monitoring them Co-communicator: engaging in the activities with the students Students are communicators: actively engaged in transferring meaning and a responsible manager of the social activities.

Characteristics of teaching/learning process: To establish real communication is important. Real communication has three elements (Morrow, 1981): Information gap Choice Feedback In true communication, there is the real need to exchange information so info- gap is promoted: it encourages real interaction Use of authentic materials is essential: it helps Ss understand the real language. Activities – role play, problem solving tasks, games – are communication oriented.

Nature of interaction: The teacher is the initiator while working with linguistic accuracy and facilitator of the activities; sometimes co- communicator The interaction is basically student-student Students’ Feelings: The students are more motivated if they do something real and purposeful with the language. Expressing their opinions, team work and cooperation also foster the feeling of security.

Language/culture viewed: Language for communication: form, meaning and function. It is considered in social situation to convey their intended meaning appropriately (difference between “May I and Can I”) Culture is part of real communication in everyday life style of people, in social situation. Areas of lang. emphasized: Functions over forms (easier functions for easier forms at first) The syllabus is functional most of the time and a variety of forms are introduced in each function Students learn about cohesion and coherence in real communication (suprasentential/discourse level) All four skills from the beginning.

Role of L1: L1 has almost no role. Can only be used very carefully. Communication happens in L2 context. Evaluation: Both accuracy and fluency are evaluated. The ideal learner is the best communicator. For formal evaluation, integrative tests with real communicative tasks are used. e.g. writing a letter to a friend which is a function and conveys meaning. It is also a social activity.

Error correction: Errors of form are tolerated as a natural outcome. Linguistic knowledge is not very critical for communicative ability: they can communicate with limited linguistic knowledge Errors may be noted to return to later

Techniques Authentic materials: obtained real world Scrambled sentences: coherence and cohesion Language games: information gap, choice and feedback Picture strip story: information gap, team work, problem solving and negotiating meaning Role play: different social contexts lead to different roles and each role uses certain forms for each function