Community Language Learning (CLL) was developed by Charles Curran in the 1970s, drawing from Rogerian counseling theory. It views language learning as a collaborative social process. Learners become members of a language learning community where they interact with each other and a teacher/counselor. In early stages, the teacher provides translations and models, but later focuses on monitoring and correcting when needed. The approach emphasizes oral proficiency, with topics and materials emerging from learner interactions. Learners progress from dependent to independent roles over five stages of whole-person language development.

1. COMMUNITY
LANGUAGE
LEARNING (CLL)

5.  BACKGROUND
 developed by Charles Curran in the 1970s
 primary insights from Rogerian counseling theory
counselor client
(knower) teacher (learner) student

6. Maskowitz’s Humanistic Techniques
which engages the whole person:
• blend what students feel, think, and know
with what they are learning in target
language
• self actualization and self-esteem
• help to foster a caring climate
• emotions and feelings as well as linguistic
knowledge and behavioral skills

7. Language Alternation;
(another language teaching tradition which
CLL is linked )
- Mackey: A message, lesson or class is
presented first in the native language and
then, in the target language before overhears.

8.  Approach;
 Theory of Language;
the social-process view of language
+
the Interactional view of language

9. La Forge’s Alternative Theory;
beyond the structuralist view of language
which means Language as a Social Process.
Communication;
 Not just a message,
 Not just the uniderectional transfer,
 Speaker = listener = subject and object of
the message.

10. Verbal
Sender  Message Receiver
<the information-transmission model>
Verbal
Sender  Message Receiver
< the social-process model>

11. “Language is persons in contact”.
“Language is persons in response”.
La Forge

12. The interactional view;
- interactions between learners
 unpredictable
- interactions between learner and knower
 dependent and independent

13. Stages;
 in stage 1; dependent
 in stage 2; self-assertive
 in stage 3; resentful & indignant
 in stage 4; tolerant
 in stage 5; independent

14. Theory of Language Learning
 Whole-person Learning ( cognitive and affective )
-a holistic one
-analyzed into five stages

15. Whole person learning stages;
1- feelings of security and belonging
2- independence
3- speaking independently
4- mature enough to take criticism
5- improving the knowledge of linguistics

16. Convalidation or Consensual Validation
S stands for security
A stands for attention and aggression
R stands for retention and reflection
D stands for discrimination
“SARD” By Curran

17.  Design
- Objectives
 encouraging the students to take more
responsibility
 learning how to learn from one another
 using the target language communicatively

18. The Syllabus
 the teaching of oral proficiency
 a topic based course progression
 emerging from the interaction between learners and
teachers
 detailed and specific grammar and lexical points
isolated by the teacher

19. Learning Activities
 Translation
 Group work
 Tape-recording
 Transcription
Analysis
Reflection and
observation
Listening
Free conversation

20. Roles of Learners
 Being a member of the community,
 Listening carefully
 Telling messages independently
 Repeating messages without any hesitation
 Expreesing feelings, frustration
 Being counselor of other learners

21.  Learners become members of a community and learn through
interacting with the community.
 Learning is viewed as something that is achieved
collaboratively not as an individual accomplishment
 Learners are expected to listen carefully to the knower
 CLL learners are typically grouped in a circle of six to twelve
learners.

23. Roles of Teachers
 Encourager
 Supporter
 Monitoring relationship
 Politely criticiser
 advicer

24.  Is to respond calmly and nonjudgmentally, in a supportive manner, and help
the client try to understand his/her problems
 Keyed to the 5 development stages:
 In early stages of learning the teacher operates in supportive role, providing
target language translations and a model for imitation on request of the clients.
 Later, the teacher monitors learner utterances, providing assistance
when requested.
 As learning processes, students become increasingly capable of accepting
criticism and the teacher may intervene directly to correct deviant
utterances, supply idioms and advise on usage and fine points of
grammar.

25. Instructional Materials
 a textbook isn’t necessary
 developed by the teachers as the course develops
 projector, tape recorder
 scripts for conversations developed by the students.

26. Procedure
 informal greeting
 statement of the goals and guidelines
 sitting in a circle
 conversations and messages given by the
student in the L1
 Translation of it into the target language by
the teacher
 repetition for the tape recorder

27.  Replaying the tape recorder for refreshing
what have learned by repeating
 Reflection
 Elements of Spelling, Grammar,
Capitalization
 Asking questions about the lesson
 Copying sentences from the board with notes
on meaning/usage.

28. What is the role of the native language in
CLL?
 Enhancing the security
 Providing a bridge from the familiar to the
unfamiliar
 Making the meaning clear

29.  Weaknesses
 a lack of grammatical syllabus
 unclear objectives
 focus on fluency rather than accuracy
 difficulty in evaluation

30. What areas of language skills are
emphasized?
- Culture is the integral part of language learning,
and language is for creative and critical thinking.
- The most important skills are understanding and
speaking the language and then, reading and
writing with reinforcement.

31. Cons
 In the beginning some learners find it difficult to speak on tape
while others might find that the conversation lacks spontaneity.
 We as teachers can find it strange to give our students so much
freedom and tend to intervene too much.
 In your efforts to let your students become independent learners
you can neglect their need for guidance.

32. Pros
 Learners appreciate the autonomy CLL offers them and thrive on
analyzing their own conversations.
 CLL works especially well with lower levels who are struggling to
produce spoken English.
 The class often becomes a real community, not just when using
CLL but all of the time. Students become much more aware of
their peers, their strengths and weaknesses and want to work as
a team.