This presentation examines the roles of teachers and learners in the communicative approach, and suggests some implications for classroom practice based on research into second language acquisition.

1. Investigating the
Communicative
Approach
Peter Beech
peter@peterbeech.com
British Council, Athens ~ 14 October 2011

2. “While most teachers profess to be
following a communicative approach, in
practice they are following more
traditional approaches. Broadly
speaking, the communicative approach
appears to have brought innovation
more on the level of theory than on the
level of teachers' actual classroom
practices.” (Karava)
Investigating the Communicative Approach
Peter Beech
>>>
CLT in Greece

3. “When the teachers were observed,
however, their classroom practices (with
very few exceptions) deviated
considerably from the principles of the
communicative approach.”
Investigating the Communicative Approach
Peter Beech
>>>
CLT in Greece

4. “Most lessons were teacher-fronted and
exhibited an explicit focus on form; pair
work activities were used in two
classrooms whereas group work
activities were never implemented —
although each unit in the textbooks
contains an average of four pair work
activities and two group work activities.”
Investigating the Communicative Approach
Peter Beech
>>>
CLT in Greece

5. How far do the observations of this1996
article reflect your experience of learning
English at school?
How far do you think they are still true
today?
Investigating the Communicative Approach
Peter Beech
CLT in Greece

6. The primary units of language are not
merely its grammatical and structural
features, but categories of functional
and communicative meaning as
exemplified in discourse.
Investigating the Communicative Approach
Peter Beech
Theory of Language

7. Communication principle
Activities that involve real communication promote learning.
Task principle
Activities in which language is used for carrying out
meaningful tasks promote learning.
Meaningfulness principle
Language that is meaningful to the learner supports the
learning process.
What are the implications of these principles for the design
of classroom activities?
Investigating the Communicative Approach
Peter Beech
Theory of Learning

8. “The range of exercise types, and activities compatible with
a communicative approach is unlimited, provided that
such exercises enable learners to attain the
communicative objectives of the curriculum, engage
learners in communication, and require the use of such
communicative processes as information sharing,
negotiation of meaning, and interaction.”
(Richards & Rogers 2001: 165)
How far do the course books that you currently use conform
to these criteria?
Investigating the Communicative Approach
Peter Beech
Types of learning activities

9. “The emphasis in Communicative Language Teaching on
the processes of communication, rather than mastery of
language forms, leads to different roles for learners
from those found in more traditional second language
classrooms.”
How do learner roles differ?
Investigating the Communicative Approach
Peter Beech
Learner roles

10. The primary role of the teacher is to facilitate the
communication process between all participants in the
classroom, and between these participants and the
various activities and texts.
Investigating the Communicative Approach
Peter Beech
Teacher roles

11. 1. Why is it difficult for adult learners
to acquire native-like pronunciation
in a foreign language?
Investigating the Communicative Approach
Peter Beech
Discussion questions

12. 2. How can the rate of retention of
vocabulary be increased?
Investigating the Communicative Approach
Peter Beech
Discussion questions

13. 3. What is the most effective way to
correct students’ grammar errors?
Investigating the Communicative Approach
Peter Beech
Discussion questions

14. How might increased knowledge of
Second Language Acquisition
improve the effectiveness of our
teaching?
Investigating the Communicative Approach
Peter Beech
SLA in CLT