Topic:

A Critical Overview of Communicative Language

Teaching
Submitted By:
Farwa Arshad
Roll No:
BSEENL-19-41
Semester:
BS English 7th (Eve)
Submitted To:
Sir Riaz Shab

BZU Campus Layyah

Introduction:
In the history of language teaching, certain methods such as Audio-lingual,
Grammar Translation, Suggestopedia and Total Physical Response have come into view.
All these methods have been widely and extensively discussed and evaluated by
researchers and scholars. Each of them has their own focus, weak points as well as
strong points and they are based on a theory. In other words, methods are developed
based on theories such as behaviorism, structuralism, constructivism and universal
grammar. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is no exception with this regard
(Larson – Freeman, 1986; Ellis, 1994). Now a day, the CLT method, which is originated
in Britain, is widely used in English as Second Language (ESL) classrooms around the
world. According to Barnaby and Sun (1989) and Ellis (1996), CLT is recognized as
powerful theoretical model in ELT by many linguists and language teachers as a useful
approach to language teaching. In this short review of CLT, I try to define
Communicative Language Teaching approach, its theoretical background and some
important characteristics. I will also explain main advantages and disadvantages of CLT
implementation.
Definition of Communicative Language Teaching:
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is an approach to teaching language
which is defined many writers (Canal, 1983; Cook, 1991; Little wood, 1981; O’Malley
and Chabot, 1990; Richards and Rodgers 2001; Rivers, 1987). According to Richards, et
al. in the Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics defined CLT as “an
approach to foreign or second language teaching which emphasizes that the goal of
language learning is communicative competence” (1992: 65). Other authors in the
field have defined and characterized CLT in various ways (Hewitt, 1984; Littlewoods,
1981; Sauvignon, 1991; Scarcely and Oxford, 1992). Littlewoods explains that “one of
the most characteristic features of communicative language teaching is that it pays
systematic attention to functional as well as structural aspects of language, combining
these into a more fully communicative view” (1981:1).
The origin of Communicative Language
Teaching:
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has its roots in England, which is a
primarily English as a Second Language (ESL) environment. In the early 1960s concepts
about second language teaching were changing, and the theoretical assumptions behind
them were also being rethought. It was during this time of re-evaluation that CLT was
born. Galloway says that the communicative Approach could be said to be the product
of educators and linguists who had grown dissatisfied with the Audio-lingual and
Grammar Translation methods of foreign language instruction. Richards and Rodgers
(1986), on the other hand, claim that the origins of communicative language teaching
are to be found in the changes of situational language teaching approaches, which
influenced the British language teaching tradition till the late 1960s. Meanwhile,
Sauvignon (1991) asserts that the emergence of CLT can be traced to concurrent
developments on both sides of the Atlantic, i.e. in Europe and the United States.
Some major features of Communicative
Language Teaching:
The communicative approach to language teaching is, relatively, a newly
adapted approach in the area of foreign / second language teaching. Communicative
Language Teaching is a “hybrid approach to language teaching, essentially ‘progressive’
rather than ‘traditional” (Wright, 2000). CLT can be seen to derive from a
multidisciplinary perspective that includes, at least, linguistics, psychology, philosophy,
sociology and educational research (Sauvignon, 1991). It is generally accepted that
proponents of CLT see it as an approach, not a method (Richards and Rodgers 1986;
Sauvignon 1991; Brown 1994). For Brown, for instance, “Communicative Language
Teaching is a unified but broadly – based theoretical position about the nature of
language and language learning and teaching” (1994: 244-245).
Larsen-Freeman (1986); Celce-Murcia (1991) and Johnson (1982) put
some of the major characteristics of CLT as follows:
a) It is felt that students need knowledge of the linguistic form, meaning and
functions. However, CLT gives primary importance to the use or function of the
language and secondary importance to its structure or form (Larsen-Freeman
1986; Johnson 1982). This does not mean that knowledge of grammar is not
essential for effective communication, rather systematic treatment of both
functions and forms is vital. Stressing on this, Littlewoods says “one of the most
characteristic features of communicative language teaching is that it pays
systematic attention to functional as well as structural aspects of language”
(1981: 1). “CLT suggests that grammatical structure might better be subsumed
under various functional categories… we pay considerably less attention to the
overt presentation and discussion of grammatical rules than we traditionally
did” (Brown 1994: 245). Emphasis is also given to meaning (messages they are
creating or task them are completing) rather than form (correctness of language
and language structure). For Finocchiaro and Brimful “meaning is paramount”
(1983:91) since it helps the learners to manage the message they engage with
the interlocutors.
b) "Fluency and accuracy are seen as complementary principles underlying
communicative techniques” (Brown1994:245). However, at times fluency may
have to take on more importance than accuracy because "fluency and
acceptable language is the primary goal" (Finocchiaro and Brumfit1983:93)
and accuracy is judged not in the abstract butin contexts. Fluency is emphasised
over accuracy in order to keep learners meaningfully engaged in language use. It
is important, however, that fluency should never be encouraged at the expense
of clear, unambiguous, direct communication. And much more spontaneity is
present in communicative classrooms (Brown, 1994).
c) Language teaching techniques are designed to engage learners in the pragmatic,
authentic, functional use of language for meaningful purposes. Classrooms
should provide opportunities for rehearsal of real-life situations and provide
opportunity for real communication. Emphasis on creative role plays,
simulations, dramas, games, projects, etc., is the major activities which can help
the learner provide spontaneity and improvisation, not just repetition and drills.
Another characteristic of the classroom process is the use of authentic materials
because it is felt desirable to give students the opportunity to develop the
 strategies for understanding language as it is actually used by native speakers. In
the classroom, everything is done with a communicative intent.
ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE OF CLT:
Advantages of CLT:
The implementation of CLT has brought allot of advantages for Teaching English as a
foreign/second language. Unlike audio lingual and grammar-translation methods,
Communicative teaching emphasis on “task-oriented, student-centered” language
teaching practice and it provides students with comprehensive use of English language,
for communication of opportunities (Richards, 2006). Other scholars also suggested
some of the major advantages of CLT as follow:

a) It motivates students to improve their ability of using English by themselves

since it emphasizes on fluency in the target language. Meaning that, it provides
students with assignments that allow them to improve their own ideas about
what they are going to talk and how they are going to express. This enables the
learners to be more confident when interacting with other people and they also
enjoy talking more (Brown, 2001).
b) CLT focuses on and aims at communicative competence. Thus, enabling the
learners to use the language in a communicative situation to satisfy their needs
in real-life communication is a priority in CLT (Richards, 2006). In other words,
it brings the real life situation of the native English in to classroom activities such
as role-play and simulation (Harmer, 2007).
Disadvantages of CLT:
There have been various criticisms on the principles of the communicative approach
to teaching and learning language:
a) The approach gives priority to meanings and rules of use rather than to grammar
and rules of structure. In other words, it is felt that there is not enough emphasis
on the correction of pronunciation and grammar error. It is because too much
focus on meaning at the expense of form. It is believed that with CLT there is a
danger of focusing too much on oral skills and less emphasis is given to reading
and writing skills, (Al-Humaidi, n.d.as cited in Keithley, Kumm(2013).
b) The CLT approach focuses on fluency but not accuracy in grammar and
pronunciation. According to Hughes (1983) communicative language teaching
leads to the production of “fluent but inaccurate" learners. What is predicted to
happen here is the danger of giving priority to fluency over accuracy in CLT
classes.
c) The CLT approach is great for intermediate student and advanced students, but for
beginners some controlled practice is needed Students with low levels of proficiency
in the target language may find it difficult to participate in oral communicative
activities and, if the exams used by any institution are grammar based,
communicative fluency may not be appropriate.
CONCLUSION:
Communicative language teaching is one of the latest humanistic approaches to
teaching Approaches which gives emphasis to the language use and provides more
opportunity to learner to practice the target language inspite of its limitation. Today, the
main apprehension of most learners of English as a foreign /second language is whether
they are able to use the language independently and fluently in a variety of real life
communicative situations such as when someone is on a trip, in a meeting or in a
restaurant. If accuracy and correcting grammatical errors are also taken into
consideration in CLT, fluency and accuracy are yielded simultaneously through the
application this method. Since language is a means of communication and CLT may
enable the learners to effectively communicate in real life situation, it is inferred that
CLT may fulfill the actual goal of teaching language which is to improve learners’
communicative competence.