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Project on  
language teaching methods
 
COMMUNICATIVE  LANGUAGE  TEACHING  
 
     Beatriz  Vera  Domínguez  
Ainhoa  Acebrón  Hernández  
Sandra  Soria  Fernández  
Pedro  Pulido  Crenes  
Abstract  
 
This   paper   aims   to   describe   the   methodology,   principles   and   purposes  
which   underlie   the   Communicative   Language   Teaching,   in   order   to   let   the  
reader   learn   deeper   about   this   language   teaching   method.   A   method   or  
methodology   is   a   combination   of   theoretical-­‐practical   principles   which   lay   the  
foundations   and   justify   the   decisions   taken   in   the   classroom.   Therefore,   every  
method   should   have   both,   a   theoretical   and   practical   component.   The   theoretical  
component   is   made   up   of   teacher´s   own   conception   of   language   and   teaching,  
while   the   practical   part   is   the   way   this   believes   are   put   into   practice   through  
different  activities  or  procedures  -­‐which  also  can  be  understood  as  the  technique-­‐.  
 
In  this  report,  three  concepts  and  ideas  about  the  Communicative  Language  
Teaching   are   going   to   be   developed   and   explained:   the   description   about   its  
methodology   and   main   goals;   a   demonstration   of   how   a   class   carried   out  
throughout   this   method   would   be   like;   and   a   reflection   about   the   tenets   behind  
the  lesson,  the  idea  of  language  which  this  method  holds  and  the  advantages  and  
drawbacks  of  this  way  of  teaching.  
 

 
Keywords  
  Communicative   Language   Teaching   -­‐   methodology   -­‐   principles   -­‐   technique   -­‐  
Primary  Education  -­‐  teaching-­‐learning  process  -­‐  target  language  -­‐  communicative  
competence  -­‐  authentic  context  -­‐  real  materials  -­‐  coherence  and  cohesion  -­‐  student  
as  communicator  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________  
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COMMUNICATIVE  LANGUAGE  TEACHING  
 
The  method    
 
  The   main   aspects   this   methodology   chase   to   obtain   in   the   student   is   the  
ability   to   communicate   in   a   coherent   and   adequate   way   achieving   the  
transmission   of   the   content   required   rather   than   the   correction   or   the   form   of   this  
one.  Therefore,  interaction  would  be  defined  not  only  as  one  of  the  main  aims  of  
this   approach   but   also   as   the   principal   mean   of   studying   the   language.   “Learn   to  
communicate  by  communicating”  (Diana  Larsen-­‐Freeman,  2001).  
 
The   communicative   approach   integrates   in   an   interdisciplinary   way,   the  
contributions  from  many  different  disciplines  such  as  the  conception  of  learning  as  
an  active  process  carried  out  through  cognitive  strategies,  from  Psycholinguistics;  
the   communicative   competence,   from   Language   Ethnography;   linguistic  
functions,   from   Pragmatic;   and   culture   as   an   element   of   learning,   from  
Sociolinguistics  (Isabel  Garallo,  Lingüística  aplicada  a  la  enseñanza-­‐aprendizaje  del  
español  como  lengua  no  materna,  2015).  In  other  words,  this  method  tries  to  make  
the  student  a  communicator  in  the  target  language,  being  able  to  use  the  language  -­‐
in   a   different   way   or   complexity   according   to   his/her   level-­‐   in   order   to  
communicate.    
 
Back  to  the  both  components  every  method  should  have,  it  is  necessary  to  
define   the   conception   of   language   and   teaching   which   underlies   this   way   of  
teaching  in  order  to  understand  the  techniques  and  practices  carried  out.  Starting  
with   the   theoretical   part,   this   method   sees   the   language   as   a   mean   of  
communication   and   the   process   of   learning   a   language   as   a   continuous  
restructuring   process   in   which   cognitive   strategies   have   an   important   role   to   form  
the   target   language.   Regarding   to   the   practical   part,   the   main   aim   is   achieving  
communicative  competence  which  is  the  ability  to  use  the  language  correctly  and  
appropriately  to  accomplish  communication  goals  (The  National  Capital  Language  
Resource   Center,   Washington,   DC,   “Teaching   goals   and   methods”,   2004).   For   this  
reason,  the  contents  are  mainly  functional  (what  to  do  with  the  language,  such  as  
greet   or   negotiate),   linguistic   (lexical   and   semantic)   and   cultural   (the   student   is  
seen  as  a  communicator  who  plays  a  role  in  the  society  of  the  target  language).    
 
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A  lesson  carried  out  through  the  communicative  language  methodology  
 
  First  of  all,  it  is  important  to  point  out  the  role  the  target  language  has.  It  is  
used  as  the  vehicle  for  communicating,  therefore  all  instructions  are  given  through  
it.    
In   the   video   about   the   Communicative   approach,   which   is   inside   a   tape   of  
videos  series  of  language  teaching  methodologies,  it  can  be  observed  the  different  
stages  of  a  lesson  using  this  methodology.  In  this  particular  case,  the  lesson  starts  
with  the  explanation  of  what  they  are  going  to  learn,  which  is  a  linguistic  function  -­‐
persuasion-­‐  through  different  topics  -­‐the  best  place  to  live-­‐.  The  teacher  uses  this  
topic  to  teach  how  to  convince  someone  about  our  own  opinion,  the  structure  used  
and   to   practise   the   fluency   in   a   more   dynamic   way.   With   this   purpose   he   starts  
explaining  a  short  personal  story  to  present  the  topic.  After  this,  a  short  time  for  
discussion  about  themselves  comes.  Now  the  main  activity,  which  is  a  role  play,  is  
developed,   in   it,   every   of   them,   divided   in   small   groups   has   a   personality   card  
according  to  which  they  have  to  play.  After  all  of  them  have  presented  their  own  
case,   a   decision   has   to   be   taken.    This   decision   will   be   exposed   to   the   rest   of   the  
class.   This   way   student   are   let   to   express   their   own   opinions   and   decisions,  
producing   the   language   as   a   natural   outcome.   Regarding   the   purpose   of   this  
activity,   first   of   all,   by   working   in   small   groups   communicative   interaction   and  
cooperative  relationships  are  encouraged  and  it  gives  students  the  opportunity  to  
work  and  negotiate  meaning.  Moreover,  a  role  play  provides  not  only  a  linguistic  
situation   but   a   sociolinguistic   opportunity   for   giving   meaning   to   the   utterance,   a  
real   context   for   real   language.   Finally,   the   last   few   minutes   are   used   to   give   the  
homework   assignment   which   is   a   composition,   writing   a   case   about   their   own  
country.   The   homework,   as   it   can   be   observed   also   tries   to   elicit   real   language,  
according  to  their  own  level  though.    
 

Demonstration  of  the  method  

 
The  lesson  will  start  with  the  explanation  of  what  they  are  going  to  do  (role  
playing),   followed   by   the   topic   we   will   focus   on   (professions).   After   that,   how   to  
develop   the   role   play   and   the   main   goal   of   and   the   social   context   of   it   will   be  
explained.    

 
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They   have   to   imagine   that   they   are   in   a   deserted   island   and   they   need  
people   with   certain   professions   to   survive,   so   they   have   to   choose   which   would   be  
the   most   useful   ones.   We   need   to   create   the   correct   atmosphere   and   tell   them   a  
short  story  as  an  introduction.  In  this  way  they  could  really  feel  as  if  they  were  in  
this  deserted  island  and  they  can  get  easily  into  their  roles.  

The   activity   is   designed   for   students   between   the   age   of   10   and   12,   as   to  
they   learn   this   type   of   vocabulary   during   the   following   grades   (5º   and   6º   grade).  
We  set  10  different  profession  such  as  firefighter,  police,  teacher,  doctor,  cook,  mail  
carrier,   pilot,   journalist,   lawyer   and   architect.   Furthermore,   they   will   be   divided  
into  small  groups  depending  on  their  job  (children  with  the  same  profession  will  
remain  together).  

Working   in   small   groups   will   encourage   cooperative   relationships   and  

communicative   skills.   Moreover,   students   should   be   given   an   opportunity   to  
negotiate.   The   teacher   will   act   as   an   advisor   (not   a   dominant   role),   moving   from  
group  to  group  in  order  to  facilitate  student’s  task.    

In   this   way,   children   are   immersed   in   a   role   play   based   on   professions   in  

which  they  have  to  decide  which  are  the  benefits  of  their  job  and  how  they  could  
help  society.  They  will  try  to  convince  other  groups  about  the  usefulness  of  their  
professions.  

Students   will   have   the   opportunity   to   practice   using   language   forms  

appropriated   to   the   setting,   reinforcing   their   previous   knowledge   about  
professions  and  vocabulary.  

One  student  per  group  will  have  the  opportunity  to  express  his  own  ideas  
about  the  profession  in  order  to  convince  the  positive  qualities  of  this  profession.  
Every   student   is   different   from   the   rest,   so,   we   will   observe   different   ways   of  
making  these  convictions.  

After   the   role   play   is   finished,   students   have   learnt   new   vocabulary   and  
grammar   structures   by   listening   the   roles   of   the   interlocutors.   They   also   have  
learnt   the   importance   of   a   real   situation   that   they   may   have   in   a   future   when  
talking   about   the   future   jobs.   This   cooperative   activities   are   very   important  
because  they  can  improve  their  fluency  and  communication  with  other  people.  
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Moreover,   a   piece   of   homework   would   benefit   and   reinforce   their   newly  

acquired   knowledge,   so   they   should   listen   to   a   debate   about   the   profession   chosen  
by  each  of  them  in  order  to  improve  their  comprehension.  

Reflection  about  the  method  

 
            Language   teaching   approach   is   based   in   the   principle   of   communication.  
The  most  important  factor  about  this  teaching  method  is  that  the  teacher’s  mainly  
function   is   to   provide   students   with   the   appropriate   skills   depending   on   the  
context   to   develop   the   communicative   competences   acting   as   a   co-­‐communicator  
in  the  learning  process.    
 
The  fact  that  the  teacher  uses  scaffolding  and  does  not  act  as  if  he  was  the  
authority  or  had  the  dominant  role  inside  the  classroom  while  teaching,  make  us  
think  that  this  method  is  useful  to  turn  responsibility  over  them  and  to  develop  not  
only   student’s   communicative   competences   but   also   their   cognitive   and   social  
ones,   as   they   can   see   themselves   as   the   managers   of   their   own   learning   process  
having   the   teacher   only   as   a   supporter   or   guide   in   order   to   internalize   high  
cognitive  experiences.    
 
Another   characteristic   of   this   kind   of   learning   process   is   the   cooperative  
learning.   With   this   method,   the   students   will   more   easily   discover   and  
comprehend   difficult   concepts   talking   with   each   other.   For   communicating   in   a  
conversation,  it  is  necessary  that  a  person  knows  some  information  that  the  other  
does   not   know,   so   data   can   be   swap.   If   not,   the   exchange   is   not   really  
communicative.   From   our   point   of   view   this   helps   the   students   to   develop   easily  
their   social   competences,   having   the   opportunity   to   interact   expressing   their  
personal   opinions   individually,   with   certainty   that   they   will   know   if   they   have  
successfully  achieved  the  main  aspects  of  communication  and  understanding.    
 
Similarly,   with   this   method   it   is   implemented   the   reciprocal   teaching,   in  
which  students  work  in  small  groups  so  they  have  more  opportunities  to  practice    
 
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their   communication   skills   learning   which   are   the   best   ways   to   say   something  
depending  on  the  situation.  This  is  an  important  advantage  for  the  students,  that    
 
can  spend  more  time  training  these  techniques  at  the  same  time  as  they  feel  secure  
talking   in   front   of   people   and   motivated   for   learning   something   useful   for   their  
future  lives.    
 
How  the  work  has  been  shared  out  to  each  group  member  
 
To  make  this  project  we  firstly  created  an  online  document  so  all  of  us  could  
work  on  it  at  the  same  time.  There  we  wrote  the  main  scheme  with  what  we  had  to  
do   and   then   we   started   to   use   the   resources   we   had   (video   and   text)   for   their  
further  analysis  and  interpretation.    
We  do  not  like  to  divide  the  work  in  different  parts,  as  if  we  do  that,  each  
one  makes  his  or  her  own  part  and  forgets  about  the  rest  of  the  project,  while  if  on  
the  other  hand  we  start  working  on  what  we  think  we  can  do  better  and  help  the  
others  with  their  work  at  the  same  time  as  we  let  others  modify  things  that  they  do  
not  like  or  think  can  be  better  of  our  own  writing,  we  read  everybody’s  work  and  
compensate  the  lacks  of  the  others  and  vice  versa.    
 
 

REFERENCES  
 
• Diane  Larsen-­‐Freeman,  “Techniques  and  principles  in  Language  Teaching”,  
Second  edition.    
• Isabel  Garallo,  “Lingüística  aplicada  a  la  enseñanza-­‐aprendizaje  del  español  
como  lengua  no  materna”,  2015  
• Lectures   given   by   Isabel   Garallo   of   “Español   como   lengua   no   materna”,   first  
semester,  second  grade.    
• The  National  Capital  Language  Resource  Center,  Washington,  DC,  “Teaching  
goals  and  methods”,  2004