By:
Halima Abdullah
Elayeb
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
2
 Country of Origin.
 The Historical Background of the Communicative
Approach.
 The Goal of the Communicative Approach.
 The Basic Principles.
 The Techniques and activities used by this approach.
 The Role of the Teacher and the Students.
 Evaluation.
 Advantages and Disadvantages.
 How the Communicative Approach differs from the other
Traditional Methods?
 Conclusion.
 The references
 Quiz
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
3
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
4
 Communicative Language Teaching began in Britain
in the 1960s as a replacement to the earlier structural
method, called Situational Language Teaching. This
was partly in response to Chomsky’s criticisms of
structural theories of language and partly based on
the theories of British functional linguistic.
 In the United States, Hymes (1971) had reacted to
Chomsky’s characterization of the linguistic
competence of the ideal native speaker and, retaining
Chomsky’s distinction between competence and
performance, pro-posed the term‘ ‘communicative
competence’’ to represent the ability to use language
in a social context.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
5
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
6
 The Communicative Approach is generally
referred to as The Functional-Notional
Approach (Wilkins1972).
 What people want to do with the language
(functions) and what meanings people want to
convey (notions).
 Functions such as: evaluating, persuading,
arguing, informing, agreeing, questioning,
requesting, expressing emotions.
 Notions such as: time, quantity, space,
location, and motion.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
7
 It was based upon needs analysis of adult
learners (learners’ needs and teacher’s goals).
 This approach came into existence during
the seventies of the last century, when some
experts of language teaching began to look
for a new technique which met learners’
needs.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
8
The CA can be traced to the work of Chomsky
in the 1960s, when he advanced the two notions
of ‘competence’ and ‘performance’ as a reaction
against the Audio-Lingual Method and its views.
These two concepts were developed later on by
Hymes, into a ‘communicative competence’
which has been expanded by a number of
writers to finally propose seven categories of
communicative functions (evaluating,
persuading, arguing, informing, agreeing,
questioning, requesting, expressing emotions).
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
9
The theory of learning underlying this
approach is holistic rather than behavioristic.
According to this approach, the notion of
habit formation is rejected and language
learning is considered as cognitive process.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
10
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
11
To teach REAL LIFE language
To become communicatively competent
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
12
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
13
 Communicative competence. Implies
knowledge of the grammatical system of the
language as well as performance. Language
grammar is seen as a language tool not an
aim. It is taught intuitively.
Inductive as well as deductive learning of
grammar.
The semantic content is given the priority in
language learning. Learners acquire the
grammar through meaning.
Comprehensible pronunciation is acceptable.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
14
 CA follows a systematic learning
process involves trial and error.
 Fluency is emphasized rather than
accuracy.
 It is learner centered approach.
 Group/pair work is encouraged.
The class should be held in the TL.
In CA, the teacher must free himself
from the text-book. Never feel that text-
book must be used from cover to cover.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
15
A closer link is required between classroom
activities and authentic situations outside (in
the target language).
 In this approach, the visual aids are
permitted. They help to motivate and focus
students’ attention.
 Errors are considered inevitable and
predictable in the process of language
learning. The teacher should be tolerant and
need NOT to correct every mistake
(selective error correction).
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
16
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
17
1. GAMES:
Guessing games are common, mime game and
find the differences or similarities etc..
2. ROLE-PLAY:
e.g. one student imagines he/she is a farmer.
Other students ask him/her questions about
his/her daily routine.
4. PROJECTS:
This is for learners of all ages especially young
ones.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
18
3. DRAMA:
In which students of a small group may
prepare a short dramatization of same event
and perform the scene as a group.
5. INTERVIEWS:
It is popular and appropriate activity for pair
and group work. Here, the students can ask
and answer each other some questions such as:
- What’s your name - where do you live?
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
19
6. BRAINSTORMING:
This task is used for developing the thinking process,
and used in preparing students to read a text or write on
a topic.
7. INFORMATION GAP:
When one person in an exchange knows something that
the other person doesn’t. if we both know today is
“Monday” and I ask you, “what is today?” our
exchange isn’t really communicative.
8. JIGSAW:
A special forms of information gaps. One very popular
technique is used with large groups. It is known as strip
story.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
20
9. PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION
MAKING:
This task focuses on group solution of any
specified problem. In this technique , the focus
is on meaningful cognitive challenges, not on
grammatical or phonological items.
10. OPINION EXCHANGE:
It is suitable for intermediate level. It contains
the exchange of various opinions.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
21
 Freeman mentions some of the techniques
used by teachers who adopt the CA for
teaching intermediate level as follows:
1. Authentic material
2. Scrambled sentences
3. Language games
4. Picture strip story
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
22
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
23
A) THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER:
The teacher is less dominant than in
traditional methods, but not less important.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
24
Co-Communicator
Facilitator
Advisor
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
25
B) THE ROLE OF THE
STUDENT:
Students are communicators.
They work actively in
negotiating meaning to
understand others and to be
understood.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
26
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
27
 Students are evaluated informally (during
class) or formally (through tests) not only in
accuracy but also in fluency, and not only
orally but also written.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
28
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
29
A) THE ADVANTAGES OF THE CA:
1. This approach considered the four language
skills equally.
2. The plenty of techniques and activities
adopted by this approach provides students
with the opportunities to use the language.
3. In this approach, every student is active
because there are interactions among
students and teacher verbally and non-
verbally.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
30
4. In this approach, the modern techniques are used to
make teaching very effective and interesting.
5. This approach creates communicative environment
of real life language.
5. As this approach is learner centered, all the
teaching materials are prepared according to
mentality and interest of the students.
6. It has transformed the traditional role of the teacher
as the sole giver (the only source) of knowledge to
that of receiver of information, and from the
dominant figure in the classroom to that of a
manager and co- ordinator of the class.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
31
B) THE DISADVANTAGES OF THE CA:
1. It is not possible to have big number of
competent teachers who can communicate
as native speakers of the target language. In
the Arab world such teachers are scarce.
2. Unfortunately, most schools lack the
classrooms that can allow for group work
activities and teaching aids and materials
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
32
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
33
1. The CA considered the four language
skills, whereas the other methods
considered two only or neglected them
absolutely.
2. In the CA, the ultimate goal in learning is
achieved upon communicative
competence, whereas in the other methods
it is on linguistic competence.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
34
3. In the CA, teachers encourage the learners
to communicate from the early stages,
whereas in many other methods the
communicative activities are achieved after
a long period of tedious exercises.
4. In the CA, the intelligible pronunciation is
accepted, whereas in some other methods
the accurate pronunciation is required, and
in others, it is absolutely neglected.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
35
5. In the CA, the teachers should be tolerant
with students’ mistakes, whereas in other
methods, they are more strict.
6. In the CA, the suitable use of the native
language is accepted, whereas in some
traditional methods, the use of students’
native language is rejected.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
36
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
37
 Communicative Language Teaching is
accepted as a best language teaching approach
by different countries of the world.
The Communicative Approach, though still
evolving, has gained increased popularity in
many educational systems across the world.
Many Arab countries especially those of the
Gulf States have recently adopted a modified
version of this approach to teaching English
with the aim of improving the communicative
competence of the students.
There is no PERFECT method of teaching. We,
ourselves can make it perfect if we used it in the
appropriate situation in the appropriate time.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
38
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
39
 Al-Mutawa, N. and Kailani T. (1998). Methods of Teaching
English to Arab Students. Longman: Harlow.
 Freeman, D. L. (2000). Techniques and Principles in
Language Teaching. Oxford University Press: Oxford.
 Richards, J. C. and Theodore S. Rodgers. (1997).
Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching.
Cambridge University Press: USA.
 Rivers, W. (1981). Teaching Foreign-Language Skills. The
University of Chicago Press: Chicago and London.
 Melinda Whong. (2011). Language Teaching _linguistic
theory in practice_. Edinburgh University Press: Scotland.
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
40
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
41
TRUE or FALSE
1. CA encourages individual work.
2. Pronunciation is emphasized.
3. Grammar is taught inductively.
4. Repetition is discouraged.
5. In CA, the curriculum is restricted to
textbook.
6. Mother tongue can be used when it is
necessary.
29 June 201542
29 June 2015
HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB
43

The Communicative Approach of Language Teaching

  • 1.
  • 2.
    29 June 2015 HALIMAABDULLAH ELAYEB 2
  • 3.
     Country ofOrigin.  The Historical Background of the Communicative Approach.  The Goal of the Communicative Approach.  The Basic Principles.  The Techniques and activities used by this approach.  The Role of the Teacher and the Students.  Evaluation.  Advantages and Disadvantages.  How the Communicative Approach differs from the other Traditional Methods?  Conclusion.  The references  Quiz 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 3
  • 4.
    29 June 2015 HALIMAABDULLAH ELAYEB 4
  • 5.
     Communicative LanguageTeaching began in Britain in the 1960s as a replacement to the earlier structural method, called Situational Language Teaching. This was partly in response to Chomsky’s criticisms of structural theories of language and partly based on the theories of British functional linguistic.  In the United States, Hymes (1971) had reacted to Chomsky’s characterization of the linguistic competence of the ideal native speaker and, retaining Chomsky’s distinction between competence and performance, pro-posed the term‘ ‘communicative competence’’ to represent the ability to use language in a social context. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 5
  • 6.
    29 June 2015 HALIMAABDULLAH ELAYEB 6
  • 7.
     The CommunicativeApproach is generally referred to as The Functional-Notional Approach (Wilkins1972).  What people want to do with the language (functions) and what meanings people want to convey (notions).  Functions such as: evaluating, persuading, arguing, informing, agreeing, questioning, requesting, expressing emotions.  Notions such as: time, quantity, space, location, and motion. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 7
  • 8.
     It wasbased upon needs analysis of adult learners (learners’ needs and teacher’s goals).  This approach came into existence during the seventies of the last century, when some experts of language teaching began to look for a new technique which met learners’ needs. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 8
  • 9.
    The CA canbe traced to the work of Chomsky in the 1960s, when he advanced the two notions of ‘competence’ and ‘performance’ as a reaction against the Audio-Lingual Method and its views. These two concepts were developed later on by Hymes, into a ‘communicative competence’ which has been expanded by a number of writers to finally propose seven categories of communicative functions (evaluating, persuading, arguing, informing, agreeing, questioning, requesting, expressing emotions). 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 9
  • 10.
    The theory oflearning underlying this approach is holistic rather than behavioristic. According to this approach, the notion of habit formation is rejected and language learning is considered as cognitive process. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 10
  • 11.
    29 June 2015 HALIMAABDULLAH ELAYEB 11
  • 12.
    To teach REALLIFE language To become communicatively competent 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 12
  • 13.
    29 June 2015 HALIMAABDULLAH ELAYEB 13
  • 14.
     Communicative competence.Implies knowledge of the grammatical system of the language as well as performance. Language grammar is seen as a language tool not an aim. It is taught intuitively. Inductive as well as deductive learning of grammar. The semantic content is given the priority in language learning. Learners acquire the grammar through meaning. Comprehensible pronunciation is acceptable. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 14
  • 15.
     CA followsa systematic learning process involves trial and error.  Fluency is emphasized rather than accuracy.  It is learner centered approach.  Group/pair work is encouraged. The class should be held in the TL. In CA, the teacher must free himself from the text-book. Never feel that text- book must be used from cover to cover. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 15
  • 16.
    A closer linkis required between classroom activities and authentic situations outside (in the target language).  In this approach, the visual aids are permitted. They help to motivate and focus students’ attention.  Errors are considered inevitable and predictable in the process of language learning. The teacher should be tolerant and need NOT to correct every mistake (selective error correction). 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 16
  • 17.
    29 June 2015 HALIMAABDULLAH ELAYEB 17
  • 18.
    1. GAMES: Guessing gamesare common, mime game and find the differences or similarities etc.. 2. ROLE-PLAY: e.g. one student imagines he/she is a farmer. Other students ask him/her questions about his/her daily routine. 4. PROJECTS: This is for learners of all ages especially young ones. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 18
  • 19.
    3. DRAMA: In whichstudents of a small group may prepare a short dramatization of same event and perform the scene as a group. 5. INTERVIEWS: It is popular and appropriate activity for pair and group work. Here, the students can ask and answer each other some questions such as: - What’s your name - where do you live? 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 19
  • 20.
    6. BRAINSTORMING: This taskis used for developing the thinking process, and used in preparing students to read a text or write on a topic. 7. INFORMATION GAP: When one person in an exchange knows something that the other person doesn’t. if we both know today is “Monday” and I ask you, “what is today?” our exchange isn’t really communicative. 8. JIGSAW: A special forms of information gaps. One very popular technique is used with large groups. It is known as strip story. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 20
  • 21.
    9. PROBLEM SOLVINGAND DECISION MAKING: This task focuses on group solution of any specified problem. In this technique , the focus is on meaningful cognitive challenges, not on grammatical or phonological items. 10. OPINION EXCHANGE: It is suitable for intermediate level. It contains the exchange of various opinions. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 21
  • 22.
     Freeman mentionssome of the techniques used by teachers who adopt the CA for teaching intermediate level as follows: 1. Authentic material 2. Scrambled sentences 3. Language games 4. Picture strip story 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 22
  • 23.
    29 June 2015 HALIMAABDULLAH ELAYEB 23
  • 24.
    A) THE ROLEOF THE TEACHER: The teacher is less dominant than in traditional methods, but not less important. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 24
  • 25.
  • 26.
    B) THE ROLEOF THE STUDENT: Students are communicators. They work actively in negotiating meaning to understand others and to be understood. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 26
  • 27.
    29 June 2015 HALIMAABDULLAH ELAYEB 27
  • 28.
     Students areevaluated informally (during class) or formally (through tests) not only in accuracy but also in fluency, and not only orally but also written. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 28
  • 29.
    29 June 2015 HALIMAABDULLAH ELAYEB 29
  • 30.
    A) THE ADVANTAGESOF THE CA: 1. This approach considered the four language skills equally. 2. The plenty of techniques and activities adopted by this approach provides students with the opportunities to use the language. 3. In this approach, every student is active because there are interactions among students and teacher verbally and non- verbally. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 30
  • 31.
    4. In thisapproach, the modern techniques are used to make teaching very effective and interesting. 5. This approach creates communicative environment of real life language. 5. As this approach is learner centered, all the teaching materials are prepared according to mentality and interest of the students. 6. It has transformed the traditional role of the teacher as the sole giver (the only source) of knowledge to that of receiver of information, and from the dominant figure in the classroom to that of a manager and co- ordinator of the class. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 31
  • 32.
    B) THE DISADVANTAGESOF THE CA: 1. It is not possible to have big number of competent teachers who can communicate as native speakers of the target language. In the Arab world such teachers are scarce. 2. Unfortunately, most schools lack the classrooms that can allow for group work activities and teaching aids and materials 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 32
  • 33.
    29 June 2015 HALIMAABDULLAH ELAYEB 33
  • 34.
    1. The CAconsidered the four language skills, whereas the other methods considered two only or neglected them absolutely. 2. In the CA, the ultimate goal in learning is achieved upon communicative competence, whereas in the other methods it is on linguistic competence. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 34
  • 35.
    3. In theCA, teachers encourage the learners to communicate from the early stages, whereas in many other methods the communicative activities are achieved after a long period of tedious exercises. 4. In the CA, the intelligible pronunciation is accepted, whereas in some other methods the accurate pronunciation is required, and in others, it is absolutely neglected. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 35
  • 36.
    5. In theCA, the teachers should be tolerant with students’ mistakes, whereas in other methods, they are more strict. 6. In the CA, the suitable use of the native language is accepted, whereas in some traditional methods, the use of students’ native language is rejected. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 36
  • 37.
    29 June 2015 HALIMAABDULLAH ELAYEB 37
  • 38.
     Communicative LanguageTeaching is accepted as a best language teaching approach by different countries of the world. The Communicative Approach, though still evolving, has gained increased popularity in many educational systems across the world. Many Arab countries especially those of the Gulf States have recently adopted a modified version of this approach to teaching English with the aim of improving the communicative competence of the students. There is no PERFECT method of teaching. We, ourselves can make it perfect if we used it in the appropriate situation in the appropriate time. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 38
  • 39.
    29 June 2015 HALIMAABDULLAH ELAYEB 39
  • 40.
     Al-Mutawa, N.and Kailani T. (1998). Methods of Teaching English to Arab Students. Longman: Harlow.  Freeman, D. L. (2000). Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. Oxford University Press: Oxford.  Richards, J. C. and Theodore S. Rodgers. (1997). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press: USA.  Rivers, W. (1981). Teaching Foreign-Language Skills. The University of Chicago Press: Chicago and London.  Melinda Whong. (2011). Language Teaching _linguistic theory in practice_. Edinburgh University Press: Scotland. 29 June 2015 HALIMA ABDULLAH ELAYEB 40
  • 41.
    29 June 2015 HALIMAABDULLAH ELAYEB 41
  • 42.
    TRUE or FALSE 1.CA encourages individual work. 2. Pronunciation is emphasized. 3. Grammar is taught inductively. 4. Repetition is discouraged. 5. In CA, the curriculum is restricted to textbook. 6. Mother tongue can be used when it is necessary. 29 June 201542
  • 43.
    29 June 2015 HALIMAABDULLAH ELAYEB 43