The Communicative Approach - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

The Communicative ApproachCommunicative Language Teaching(CLT)

Communicative and Functional ApproachSlide2

Background

The

communicative

approach seeks

to make meaningful communication and language use a focus of all classroom activities.

The method

came as a reaction against the

grammar-based approaches

such as the

audiolingual

method

and

grammar-translation methods

of foreign language instruction that ignored that

the goal of language learning is

COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE. Slide3

In order to explain communicative competence we have to explain first what is meant by competence. Competence is the knowledge one has (of a language).

Performance

is the exercise of that knowledge.Slide4

Competence is of two types:Grammatical competence, which includes knowledge of the linguistic system of a language, such as kn

owledge

of the grammar and vocabulary of the language

And

Communicative competence, which includes

refers to knowing how to use language appropriately. The latter includes :Slide5

Communicative competence

Knowledge of rules of speaking (e.g.

Knowing how to begin and end conversations,

knowing what topics may be talked about in different types of speech events,

knowing which ‘address

fo

r

ms’ (e.g.

Tu

–

vous

) should be used with different

pe

r

sons one speaks to and in different situations

Knowing how to use and respond to different types of speech acts, such as requests, apologies, thanks, and invitations.

(e.g.-thank you – you’re welcome).Slide6

The

communicative approach

was developed particularly by British applied linguists

(

Christopher

Candlin

and Henry

Widdowson

: John Firth,

Halliday

-

Labov

,

Hymes

,

Gumprez

- John

Searl

and John Austin)

in the 1980s

Communicative competence represents a shift in focus from the grammatical (or linguistic) competence to the

communicative competence

of the language.Slide7

Goal

The approach emphasizes that the goal of language learning is COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE (the ability to use a language to achieve one's communicative purpose / c

ommunicative intent)

The method focuses on the language needed to express and understand different kinds of functions, such as requesting, describing, expressing likes and dislikes, etc.Slide8

Purpose: Communication

While grammar

is still important in the CLT classroom, the emphasis is on

communicating

a message

.

CLT emphasizes communication in real-life situations since c

ommunicative competence is

context specific.Slide9

Social Context

Thus

,

CLT

stresses

social and situational contexts of

communication

.

S

tudents

learn

how to use

language in

different social contexts

based on

the situation, the role of the participants and the appropriate choices of register and style

.  Slide10

Here are examples of

lg

variation:

speaking with an elder or a peer (

relationships of participants) – who & whom

Use of

lg

in different jobs or professions (formal, informal, the use of jargon or slang may or may not be appropriate.) –when & where

Different places (market, work place…) - whereSlide11

“For example, the English statement ‘It’s rather hot in here’ could be seen as a request, particularly to someone in a lower role relationship, to close a window or door or to turn on the heating”. Slide12

Principles of CLL

The major principles of Communicative

Language Teaching are:

Enabling

students

to

acquire

the

ability

not only to apply

the grammatical rules of a language (in order

to

form

grammatically

correct

sentences

)

but

also

to

know

when

and

where

to

use

the

sentences

and

to

whom

.

Focus in on meaning, not form (

Notions/functions).

language is used to communicate

authentic and meaningful communication should be the goal of classroom activities

fluency and accuracy are both important goals in language learning.

Provide opportunities for learners to learn both accuracy and fluency

communication involves the

integration of different language skills:

Link the different skills

Make real communication the focus of language learningSlide13

Features of CLT

The use of authentic materials,

authentic language use

students engage in real communication with one another

Material is presented in context

It pays attention to

registers

and styles in terms of situation and participants.

Fluency and accuracy (different competencies)

development of autonomous learnersSlide14

Fluency vs. accuracy

Natural use

of language occurring when a speaker engages in

meaningful interaction

and maintains comprehensible and ongoing

communication

despite

occasional errors.

Accurate

practice which focuses on creating

correct

examples of language useSlide15

Teacher and Student Roles

Teacher roles

(1) To facilitate communication

(2) To be a co-communicator

Student roles

CommunicatorSlide16

Error correctionThe instructor does not correct speech errors directly (tolerance to learner`s errors)

learning is a process of creative construction and involves trial and errorSlide17

The role of the first languageStudents are allowed to respond in the target language, their native language, or a mixture of the two. Slide18

Let students induce and discover grammar rulesSlide19

Advantages of the CA

(1) Students will be more motivated

(2) Students have opportunities to express themselves

(3) Student security is enhanced

 Slide20

Authentic material use is encouraged through the use of:

Recorded conversations

Novels

Short storiesSlide21

Disadvantages of the CA

Difficulty in evaluating students’ performance

Teachers should be able to use the target language fluently and appropriatelySlide22

Typical techniques

S

crambled sentencesSlide23
Slide24
Slide25

Do you communicate to get information that you know or information you don’t know?Use of information gaps activitiesSlide26

“An important aspect of communication in CLT is the notion of information gap. This refers to the fact that in real communication, people normally com- municate in order to get information they do not possess. This is known as an information gap. More authentic communication is likely to occur in the class- room if students go beyond practice of language forms for their own sake and use their linguistic and communicative resources in order to obtain information.

In so doing, they will draw available vocabulary, grammar, and communication strategies to complete a task. The following exercises make use of the

informa

-

tion

-gap principle:”

“Communicative Language Teaching

TodayClassroom

Activities in Communicative Language Teaching” by

Jack C. Richards

Use of information gaps activitiesSlide27

“Students are divided into A-B pairs. The teacher has copied two sets of pictures. One set (for A students) contains a picture of a group of people. The other set (for B students) contains a similar picture but it contains a number of slight differences from the A-picture. Students

must sit back to back and ask questions to try to find out how many differences there are between the two pictures.

Students practice a role play in pairs. One student is given the information she/he needs to play the part of a clerk in the railway station information booth and has information on train departures, prices, etc. The other needs to obtain information on departure times, prices, etc. They role-play the interaction without looking at each other’s cue cards.”

“Communicative Language Teaching

TodayClassroom

Activities in Communicative Language Teaching” by

Jack C. RichardsSlide28

“Examples of information gap activities- Activity1:Student B: The

torn

picture

Que manque‐

t‐il

dans ta photo?

You and your partner have two different parts of the picture. Exchange information to know what the people are doing on the other side.

Modèle : Toi:

Y a‐

t‐il

des gens qui descendent du bus?

Ton partenaire:

Non, personne ne descend du bus.

Student A : The torn picture

Que manque‐t‐il dans ta photo? You and your partner have two different parts of the picture. Exchange information to know what the people are doing on the other side. Modèle : Toi:

Y a‐

t‐il

des gens qui font du vélo?

Ton partenaire:

Oui, une dame fait du vélo. » Slide29

Cross-word puzzleLanguage games: cross-word puzzleSlide30

PuzzlesFind these words.

ABRACADABRA

ARROW

BALL AND RING

CHINESE RINGS

CORKSCREW

CRYSTAL CLEAR

DEAD END

DOUBLE VISIONEQUALIZER

FLIGHT TEST

GRAND PRIX

HAVE A HEART

MOUSETRAP

PINETREE

SHOCKWAVE

SHORT CIRCUIT

SILENT PARTNERSLEIGHT OF HANDSLINGSHOT

SOMETHING FISHY

SPUTNIK

TOUCH WOOD

TRIPLE CROWN

TRIPLE PLAY

TRIPWIRE

TROUBLE CLEF

VIRUS

WEATHERVAIN

WEDGE

WOODEN OPENSlide31

puzzleSolving puzzles, etc.

“What thing travels round the word without leaving its place?”Slide32

Role playsSlide33

Picture strip storySlide34

SPOT THE DIFFERENCESSlide35

Further CLT activities

Task- completion activities

: puzzles games, map-reading.

Information gathering activities

: survey, interviews

Information- transfer activities: question and answerSlide36

What is common among all these activities?

Emphasis on group and pair workSlide37

Fluency and accuracyTwo types of Activities:Slide38

SAMPLE 1

“A group of students of mixed language abilities carry out a

role play

in which they have to

adopt

to specified roles and personalities provided for them on cue cards

. These roles involve the driver, witness, and the policeman at a collision between two cars. The language is entirely

improvised

by the students”Slide39

Activities focusing on fluency

The use of language. Classroom/ natural?

Focus of the task?

Use of language in context or out of context?

The use of any communication strategies?

Is the type of language produced predictable?

Natural

Achieving communication

Meaningful use of language in context

Requires the use of communication strategies

Non predictableSlide40

SAMPLE 2

“Students are practicing dialogs. The dialogs contain examples of falling intonation in wh-questions. The class is organized in groups of three. Two students practicing the dialog and the third one playing the role of the monitor who

checks

that the others are using the

correct

intonation pattern and

correct

them where necessary. The students rotate their role between those monitoring and those reading. The teacher moves around listening to the groups and

corrects

them where necessary.”Slide41

Activities focusing on accuracy

Natural use of language/ classroom language?

Achieving communication/ uttering correct examples of intonation?

Use of language in context/ practice small sample of language?

Need meaningful communication?

Free choice of language?

Classroom language

Focus on the formation of correct examples of language

practice samples of language.

Does not require meaningful communication

Choice of language is controlled.Slide42

Accuracy or fluency?“Students in groups of three or four complete an exercise on a grammatical item, such as choosing between the past tense and the present perfect, an item which the teacher has previously presented and practiced as a whole class activity. Together students decide which grammatical form is correct and they complete the exercise. Groups take turns reading out their answers.”Slide43

Accuracy or fluency?“The teacher and a student act out a dialog in which a customer returns a faulty object she has purchased to a department store. The clerk asks what the problem is and promises to get a refund for the customer or to replace the item. In groups, students now try to recreate the dialog using language items of their choice. They are asked to recreate what happened preserving the meaning but not necessarily the exact language. They later act out their dialogs in front of the class.”Slide44

Mechanical, meaningful, and communicative practice

mechanical

Controlled practice activity

Carried without necessarily understanding the language they are using.Slide45

Mechanical, meaningful, and communicative practice

Meaningful practice

language control is still provided

students are required to make meaningful choices.Slide46

Mechanical, meaningful, and communicative practice

Communicative practice

Use of language within real communicative context

Real information is exchanged

Language use is totally not predictableSlide47

Sample of these activities.Slide48

The Impact“Communicative language teaching led to a re-examination of language teaching goals, syllabuses, materials, and classroom activities and has had a major impact on changes in language teaching world wide. Some of its principles have been incorporated into other communicative approaches, such as

Task-Based Language Teaching, Cooperative Language Learning,

and

Content-Based Instruction.”Slide49

British and American proponents of CLT consider it as an approach (not a method) that aims to (a) make communicative competence the goal of language teaching and (b) develop procedures for the teaching of the four language skills that acknowledge the interdependence of language and communication.Slide50

Here, Littlwood (1981:1) states: “One of the most characteristic features of CLT is that it pays systematic attention to functional as well as structural aspect of language

.”

More and more,

Howatt

distinguishes between a strong and a weak version of CLT:Slide51

There is, in a sense, a strong version of the communicative approach and a weak version. The weak version which has become more or less standard practice in the last ten years, stresses the importance of providing learners with opportunities to use their English for communicative purposes and, characteristically, attempts to integrate such activities into a wider program of language teaching… The strong version of communicative teaching, on the other

hand

, advances

the claim that the language is acquired through

communication…(1984: 279)Slide52

“Which of the statements below do you think characterizes communicative language teaching?1. People learn a language best when using it to do things rather than through studying how language works and practicing rules.

2. Grammar is no longer important in language teaching.

3. People learn a language through communicating in it.

4. Errors are not important in speaking a language.

5. CLT is only concerned with teaching speaking.

6. Classroom activities should be meaningful and involve real communication.

7. Dialogs are not used in CLT.

8. Both accuracy and fluency are goals in CLT.

9. CLT is usually described as a method of teaching.”Slide53

“Communicative Language Teaching Today” by Jack C. Richards (http://www.cambridge.org/other_files/downloads/esl/booklets/Richards-Communicative-Language.pdf

http://cambridge.hwatai.com.tw/webpage/09/e_connection/april/epapper_200904_1.htm