The document discusses the communicative approach to language teaching, highlighting its evolution from the situational approach in the late 1960s. It emphasizes the importance of communication in language learning, advocating for group activities that enhance language use and fluency. The document also outlines the advantages, such as meaningful context and engagement, alongside disadvantages like a lack of error correction and potential incoherence in students' language production.

1. Lic. DENNIS CONDORI ESPILCO
COMMUNICATIVE
APPROACH

2. AIM
o Show the background of the approach
o Define the approach
o Give examples
o Make the conclusion

3. BACKGROUND
o The origins of the communicative approach are found in
the changes in the British language teaching tradition in
the late 1960s.
o Situational approach was the major approach at that
time.
o The need to focus language teaching on the
communicative proficiency became important.

4. o In the min-1970s the scope of the communicative
approach expanded.
o The communicative approach changed the situational
approach.

5. WHAT IS THE
COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH?
o “A method of teaching a foreign language which stresses
the importance of learning to communicate information
and ideas in the language.” (http://
oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com)
o In other words, it is a kind of foreign language teaching,
which is based on the communication using the target
language.

6. CHARACTERISTICS AND
PRINCIPLES

7. o According to Larsen-Freeman (2000), the most important
characteristic of the communicative language teaching is
that: “almost everything that is done is done with the
communicative intent.”(2000:132).
o The same author states that the best way to learn
foreign language by using a communicative approach is to
carry out activities in small groups of students. For
instance, the teacher gives for students a topic and then
they are divided into small groups to communicate with
each other about the given topic. Through this kind of
activities students are engaged in meaningful and
authentic language use rather than in the simply
mechanical practice of language patterns.

8. oAccording to Richards (2006) completing tasks in this way
students gain several benefits:
• They can learn from hearing the language used by other
members of the group.
• They will produce a greater amount of language than they
would use in teacher-fronted activities.
• Their motivational level is likely to increase.
• They will have the chance to develop fluency.”(2006:20)
o An example of the lesson where the communicative
approach is used for learning:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kRT-rsKxn4 (7:48 –
10:30)

9. COMMUNICATIVE
COMPETENCE
o According to Savignon (1972) the communicative competence
is: “the ability to function in a truly communicative setting –
that is, in a dynamic exchange in which linguistic competence
must adapt itself to the total informational input, both
linguistic and paralinguistic, of one or more interlocutors.”
(1972:8)
o Also, Savignon (1972) describes the communicative
competence as: “the ability to engage in the interpretation,
expression, and negotiation of meaning.”(1972:8)

10. o The communicative competence consists of four components

12. CONCLUSION
Every approach has advantages and disadvantages.
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Language is acquired
through communication.
Student may not see the
value in learning English
through group work,
games, and activities.
CA allows learners to use
the target language in
meaningful context.
CA does not focus on error
correction.
CA can be adapted to any
level.
Students don’t feel
challenged.
CA focuses on fluently not
accuracy. Thus student may
produce incoherent and
grammatically incorrect
sentence.

13. THANK YOU
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION!