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CommunicativeLanguageTeachingapproach
TheDefinitionOfCLT
CommunicativeLanguageTeaching(CLT)originatedfromthechanges
intheBritishSituationalLanguageTeachingapproachdatingfromthelate
1960s(Richards&Rodgers,2001).Stemmingfromthesociocognitive
perspectiveofthesociolinguistictheory,withanemphasisonmeaningand
communication,andagoaltodeveloplearnerscommunicative
competence,CommunicativeLanguageTeaching(CLT)approachevolves
asaprominentlanguageteachingmethodandgraduallyreplacedthe
previousgrammartranslationmethodandaudiolingualmethod
(Warschauer&Kern,2000).Sincetheconceptofcommunicative
competencewasfirstintroducedbyHymesinthemid1960s,many
researchershavehelpeddeveloptheoriesandpracticesofCommunicative
LanguageTeachingapproach(Brown,1987Canale,1983Hymes,1971
Littlewood,1981Nattinger,1984Nunan,1987&1989Richards&
Rodgers,1986Widdowson,1990).Hymescoinedthistermincontrastto
ChomskysLinguisticCompetence.AsStern(1992)explicated,
Competencerepresentsproficiencyatitsmostabstractandpsychologically
deepestlevel(p.73).Chomskyindicatedthatunderlyingtheconcrete
languageperformance,thereisanabstractrulesystemorknowledgeand
thisunderlyingknowledgeofthegrammarofthelanguagebythenative
speakerishislinguisticcompetence.Incontrast,Hymesarguethatin
additiontolinguisticcompetence,thenativespeakerhasanotherrule
system.InHymesview,languagewasconsideredasasocialandcognitive
phenomenonsyntaxandlanguageformswereunderstoodnotas
autonomous,acontextualstructures,butratherasmeaningresourcesused
inparticularconventionalwaysanddevelopthroughsocialinteractionand
assimilationofothersspeech(Warschauer&Kern,2000).Therefore,
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speakersofalanguagehavetohavemorethangrammaticalcompetencein
ordertobeabletocommunicateeffectivelyinalanguagetheyalsoneedto
knowhowlanguageisusedbymembersofaspeechcommunityto
accomplishtheirpurposes(Hymes,1968).Basedonthistheory,Canaleand
Swain(1980)laterextendtheCommunicativecompetenceintofour
dimensions.InCanaleandSwain,Communicativecompetencewas
understoodastheunderlyingsystemsofknowledgeandskillrequiredfor
communication.Knowledgerefersheretowhatoneknows(consciouslyor
unconsciously)aboutthelanguageandaboutotheraspectsof
communicativelanguageuseskillreferstohowwellonecanperformthis
knowledgeinactualcommunication(Canale,1983,p.5).Fromthis
perspective,whatlanguageteachersneedtoteachisnolongerjust
linguisticcompetencebutalsosociolinguisticcompetence(which
utterancesareproducedandunderstoodappropriatelyindifferentsocio
linguisticcontexts),discoursecompetence(masteryofhowtocombine
grammaticalformsandmeaningstoachieveaunifiedspokenorwrittentext
indifferentgenres),andstrategiccompetence(masteryofverbalandnon
verbalcommunicationstrategiesthatmaybecalledintoactionfor
compensatingorenhancingcommunication)(Canale,1983,pp.711).
DistinguishingFeaturesOfCLT
RichardsandRodgers(2001)havereviewedanumberofpeoples
worksonCLTanddescribedseveraldistinguishingfeaturesofit.As
communicativecompetenceisthedesiredgoal,inCLT,meaningis
paramount(Finocchiaro&Brumfit,1983,citedbyRichardsandRodgers,
2001).Insociocognitiveperspectives,languageisviewedasavehicleof
conveyingmeaning,andknowledgeistransmittedthroughcommunication
involvingtwoparts,forexample,speakersandlisteners,andwritersand
readers,butisconstructedthroughnegotiation.Asaconsequence,
communicationisnotonlyamatteroffollowingconventionsbutalsoof
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negotiatingthroughandabouttheconventionsthemselves.Itisa
conventioncreatingaswellasconventionfollowingactivity(Breen&
Candlin,2001,p.10).Therefore,therearethreeelementsinvolvedinthe
underlyinglearningtheory:communicationprinciple,taskbasedprinciple,
andmeaningfulnessprinciple(Richards&Rodgers,2001,p.161).Basedon
thisperception,whenappliedtolanguagelearning,functionalactivities
andsocialinteractionactivities(Littlewood,1981)areconsequently
selectedaccordingtohowwelltheyengagethelearnerinmeaningand
authenticlanguageuselearningisinterpersonaltolearntocommunicate
attempttocommunicatemaybeencouragedfromtheverybeginning
dialogues,ifused,centrearoundcommunicativefunctionsandnotnormally
memorizedandcontextualizationisbasicpremisedrillingmayoccur,but
peripherallyanydevicethathelpstocommunicateandunderstandis
acceptable(Finocchiaro&Brumfit,1983,citedbyRichards&Rodgers,
2001,p.156).Tosomeextent,thatistosay,studentsdonotsimplylearn
thelinguisticstructuresandgrammarrules.Rather,theyshouldbeactively
makingmeaningthroughactivitiessuchascollaborativeproblemsolving,
writingforapurpose,discussionoftopicsofgenuineinterest,andreading,
viewingandrespondingtoauthenticmaterials(Murphy,2000).
Sinceknowledgeandlearningareviewedassociallyconstructed
throughnegotiationaccordingtosociocognitiveperspectives(Breen&
Candlin,2001),anotherdimensionofCLTislearnercentredand
experiencebased.Withinteractivecommunicativelanguageuseasthe
calloftheday,communicativeprocessesbecameasimportantaslinguistic
product,andinstructionbecamemorelearnercenteredandlessstructurally
driven(Kern&Warschauer,2000,p.5).Inanotherword,inCLTcontext,
learnersareseenasactiveparticipantsintheconstructionofknowledge,
ratherthanpassiverecipientsofinformationprovidedbytheteacherorthe
textbook.Incontrast,languageteachersarenolongerviewedasthe
authorityoftheknowledge,playingadominantrole.Rather,theyshare
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differentrolessuchascommunicationfacilitater,independentparticipant,
needsanalyst,counselor,andgroupprocessmanager(Richards&
Rodgers,2001,p.167)tocreatemorefascinatingexperiencesforthe
learners.
Besidestheabovefeatures,RichardsandRodgers(2001)describe
othersignificantcharacteristicsofthisapproachincludingitseffortstomake
tasksandlanguagerelevanttoatargetgroupoflearnersthroughan
analysisofgenuine,realisticsituations,itsemphasisontheuseofauthentic,
fromlifematerials,anditsattempttocreateasecure,nonthreatening
atmosphere.Alltheseattemptsalsofollowthemajorprinciplesof
communicativeviewoflanguageandlanguagelearning:helpinglearners
learnalanguagethroughauthenticandmeaningfulcommunication,which
involvesaprocessofcreativeconstruction,toachievefluency.Inthisvein,
intermsofclassroomactivity,itincludesgroupwork,taskwork,information
gapactivities,andprojects.
TheWeaknessesOfCLT
Yet,inevitably,despitetheseoutstandingcharacteristics,CLTalso
haveweaknesses.Schmitt(2000)arguedthatCLTneedssupportive
vocabularyforfunctionallanguageusebutitgiveslittleguidanceabouthow
tohandlevocabulary.However,ithasbeennowrealizedthatmere
exposuretolanguageandpracticewithfunctionalcommunicationwillnot
ensuretheproficiencyinlanguagelearning,socurrentbestpractice
includesbothaprincipledselectionofvocabulary,oftenaccordingto
frequencylists,andaninstructionmethodologythatencouragesmeaningful
engagementwithwordsoveranumberofrecyclings(p.14).Stern(1992)
alsopointedoutthatCLTapproachputsanexcessiveemphasisonthe
singleconceptcommunicationsothatinordertoaccountforallvarieties
andaspectsoflanguageteachingweeitherstretchtheconceptof
communicationsomuchthatitlosesanydistinctivemeaning,orweaccept
itslimitationsandthenfindourselvesinthepredicamentofthemethod
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solution(p.14).SomepeoplecriticizedthatasCLTfocusonlearner
centeredapproach,whileinsomeaccountsofCLT,learnersbring
preconceptionofwhatteachingandlearningshouldbelike,whichwhen
unrealizedcanleadtolearnerconfusionandresentment(HennerStanchina
&Riley,1978,citedbyRichards&Rodgers,2001).
Inaddition,somepeoplecontendedthatCLThasnotgivenan
adequateaccountofEFLteachingdespiteitsinitialgrowthinforeign
languageteachinginEurope(Li,2001).Stern(1992)arguedthatoneofthe
mostdifficultproblemsismakingclassroomlearningcommunicativeisthe
absenceofnativespeakers.Apparently,CLTaremoresuccessfulinEnglish
asaSecondLanguage(ESL)contextbecausestudentsusuallyhaveavery
supportivelearningenvironmentoutsideschool.Theyhavemorechancesto
beexposedtotheauthenticcontactwithnativespeakersandthetarget
language,whichreinforceswhattheylearninclass.Besides,theyhavethe
motivationtoworkonoralEnglishbecausetheyneeditintheirlives.In
contrast,inEnglishasaForeignLanguage(EFL)context,duetosome
physicallimitations,suchasthepurposeoflearningEnglish,learning
environments,teachersEnglishproficiency,andtheavailabilityofauthentic
Englishmaterials,CLTmeetsmuchmoredifficultiesduringitsapplication.
confrontedbylanguageteachersbutithasagreatpotentialthatgain
theapparentpopularityinlanguageteachingandlearningdomain.Italso
needstorealizethatthereInsummary,CLTcannotbeseenasapanacea
fortheproblemsthathavebeenisntafixframeworkofCLT.Aslearners
andthelearningcontextaredynamic,whenCLTisappliedtoacertain
context,theadaptationandinnovationofitisnecessary.

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