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

2. 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”

3. 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

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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. 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

10. 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

11. 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)

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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

20. 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