English is learned through both guided practice and authentic communication. Guided practice is teacher-controlled and focuses on analyzing language one element at a time, with closed questions that have a single right answer and an emphasis on accuracy. Authentic communication is learner-controlled, considers whole concepts at once in a real-life way, uses open-ended questions without single answers, and focuses on fluency. Developing communicative competence involves the ability to use English appropriately for different situations, purposes and relationships between participants.
