COMMUNITY LANGUAGE LEARNING

ORIGINS
Humanistic method (Moskowitz) → Emphasis on the person as a whole: his affective realm, linguistic knowledge
and behavioural skills. Therefore, both cognitive and affective functions are involved. Humanistic methods blend the
two factors and help create a caring and sharing environment in the FL classroom.

Counselling theory (Rogers)

Counselling learning (Curran) → Curran wanted to give more importance to psychology and so of ‘whole person
learning’. He asserted that feelings and emotions were not put aside when entering the classroom. Therefore, they
should be given a part in class design.

Community Language Learning (La Forge) → He was one of Curran’s students. He developed Curran’s idea.

ROLES
Teachers and students’ roles are redefined. This is done on the basis of the counselling metaphor. The teacher
becomes the counsellor at the service of the student, who is seen as the client. The relationship between them
equals that of counsellor-client. This provokes that this method is learner-centred (or client-centred, if we use
Rogers’ terminology).

PSYCHOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS (SARD)

Security: the students need to be confident within the group and the class. A caring and sharing environment is
needed.

Attention and Aggression: Attention requires a variety in the choice of learners’ tasks in order to keep their
attention. Aggression refers to the attitude of the learner who seeks for any opportunity to show his strength (in
learning) by taking over and demonstrating what has been learnt. Knowledge then is a tool of self-assertion

Retention and Reflection: Retention refers to internalization of the knowledge. Reflection is the consciously
identified period of silence within the framework of the lesson. In this period students focus on learning forces,
assess their present stage of development and re-evaluate the future goals.

Discrimination: Ability of the learner to sort out all the knowledge acquired and to see how things relate to each
other

OTHER KEY CONCEPTS

Language alternation (Mackey): Presentation of content in L1 and repetition in L2.

Consensual validation/Convalidation: Essential to learning process. Mutual warmth, understanding and positive
evaluation of the other person’s worth.

Human computer

Feedback: language is seen as a social process. Communication needs a feedback reaction. Moreover, it is important
that the students give feedback on how they feel during the learning process in order to build up that caring
environment in which they feel secure.
DESIGN
Topic-based: lessons are based on the topics students want to speak about, not in particular grammar structures,
semantic fields, etc.

No conventional syllabus/textbook: textbooks are considered to hinder the evolution of the lesson, for they would
impede the interaction. Materials are to be developed by the teacher: summaries on the board, projection of
linguistic features of conversations, conversation transcripts of study and analysis…

The syllabus then consists of grammatical points, lexical patterns and generalisations extracted from the
conversations.

There are no defined objectives, as everything will depend on the topics, the conversations, the evolutions… nothing
is set. This makes it very difficult to evaluate learning.

METHOD
Reflection: Students sit in a circle and brainstorm about the topics they would like to deal with. This helps create the
community atmosphere.

Recorded conversation: once the subject has been chosen, students say in the L1 what they would like to say. The
teacher, behind the and touching their shoulder lightly with its hand, translates it into English. On higher levels,
students can attempt to build some language chunks in English. When the student feels ready to talk he records his
sentence. This continues till a whole conversation has been recorded. Then the tape is played at intervals and
students say in their L1 what they intended to say in the L2 in order to refresh their memories.

Reflection/Discussion: the students think about how the conversation went, how they felt, if they felt more
comfortable than when they speak aloud normally… This part is not recorded

Transcription: The conversation is listened to and students transcribe it. The teacher only intervenes when asked.
The teacher might as well do this job instead highlighting interesting parts of the conversation.

Language Analysis: The language that has been used is analysed: form of tenses, vocabulary… students are totally
involved in the analysis process. Students are encouraged to ask about the language and to copy and take notes.
These notes form the “syllabus” of the course.

TEACHERS’ TASKS
CLL is said to require specialized training. The teacher (also knower) must be at all times in control of the learning
situation. It is his responsibility to adapt the topics that students choose to their level, imposing the basic aims and
structures to LL.

Since the approach is humanistic, he should also show empathy towards his students, and help create the sharing
and caring environment.

His function as counsellor can be divided into four stage.

1. Supportive: at this stage the teacher provides the translations on the target languages to the students.
These translations are the model of imitation and the basis of communication in the classroom.
2. Monitor: The teacher won’t give translations but will provide assistance only when requested or required.
3. Corrector: the teacher is supposed to correct deviant utterances, supply idioms and advise on language
usage and specific grammar. This stage requires a quite high command of the language already.
4. Dependent: at this stage the student is totally independent and could himself be a knower/teacher. The
teachers’ role is to let the students help him when providing help to other students.
LEARNERS’ TASKS
The learners’ tasks are basically three:

- To apprehend the sound system by imitating the oral production of the teacher
- To assign fundamental meanings by comparing his L1 production to the translation given by the teacher.
- To construct a basic grammar of the FL by analysing the language that he produces during the lesson.

CLASSROOM INTERACTIONS
- Learner-Learner: there are exchanges of affect between them that help to build up the feeling of
community.

- Learner-Teacher: the relationship between them evolves and goes through 5 stages:
1. Dependency: the student is totally dependent of the teacher to produce language in the FL. At
this stage, also called birth stage, the students build the feelings of security and belonging to the
community.
2. Self-assertion: the student starts to produce FL on his own but still needs the teacher to help and
assert him on his production. There is a measure of independence
3. Resenting and indignation: the student produces FL on his own and resents teachers’ comments
or corrections.
4. Tolerance: the student accepts the teacher’s corrections
5. Independence: the student is independent of the teacher. At this stage he has a good command
of the language and can only improve style and appropriateness. The learner turns into a knower
for other learners.

CRITICISM
Some have discussed the appropriateness of the ‘counselling’ metaphor referred to the relationship teacher-
student. Also, regarding the training required for teachers.

A major point of opposition to this method is the lack of syllabus and the consequences derived from it (sequencing,
objectives, evaluation…). In addition, the focus on fluency is quite argued as it leaves accuracy somehow aside.

Regarding the humanistic side of the approach, the effectiveness of this method with some personality types is
discussed. These types are the ones that lack security and don’t feel confident about speaking in public no matter
the context. All the same, even La Forge pointed out that excessive security within the group could be an
impediment to learning.

REFERENCES
* Rogers, C. (1951). Client-centred Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications and Theory. London: Constable
* Moskowitz, G. (1978) Caring and sharing in the foreign language class. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
* Curran, C. (1976) Counseling-learning in second language, Apple River, IL: Apple River Press
* La Forge, P.G. (1983) Counseling and culture in second language acquisition. Oxford: Pergamon
* Richards, J.C. and T.S. Rodgers (1986) Approaches and methods in language teaching: a description and
analysis, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
* Stevick, E.W. (1998) Working with teaching methods : what's at stake? Indiana: Heinle & Heinle Publishers
* Bertrand, J. (2004) Community Language Learning. Retrieved on 15th October 2013
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/community-language-learning