The document discusses using a communicative approach to teach English to 9th grade students in Colombia. The teacher aimed to create an environment where students used their knowledge in a natural way through speaking activities. However, in practice the students struggled to answer basic questions in English and the teacher had to switch between English and Spanish for instructions. Key issues observed were a lack of self-confidence in speaking, apathy toward English class, and an inability to follow simple English instructions. The conclusion is that while the teacher's intentions were good, the students were not adequately prepared based on Vygotsky's theory that instruction is needed to apply knowledge, suggesting improvements are required to better support students in communicative speaking activities.

1. Communicative approach is widely use in English teaching because it is
inspired in ideas from vigotsky in the first part of twenty century, and
Krashen used Vigotsky ideas for this approach in this approach is
important the apprentice role in speaking activities where the students
work making a negotiation in the meanings. Speaking activities come from
the knowledge which every student have and they have to improve it
under normal conditions.
Under my observations made at Institucion Educativa El Jardín, the
teacher tried to use a communicative approach in 9 th grade because
according a short talking between the teacher and me before the
observation task, she wanted to create a place where the students had to
use their knowledge in order to learn how to use it in a nature way.
According to her experiences, the students would be able to produce
simple sentences to request information, talk to their friends about some
information related to them. At the beginning, it looked like a great
experience in the classroom but it would be another story inside of the
classroom with the students.
Inside of the class room, according to them that was their first experience
of an English class under the communicative approach, even though the
good will of the teacher using basic questions about personal information,
they weren’t able to answer those questions and as a result of that, the
teacher had to give instructions in English and then in Spanish.
The class was so far to be an example of communicative approach, the
teacher presented a position as guide according to this approach but the
students presented several issues like:
- Lack of Self-confidence in speaking activities.
- An apathetic position towards English class.
- A strong problem following simple instruction in English like Sit down or
Show me your dictionary.
After the observation, I had realize that the intention from the teacher was
good but there was a problem, the student weren’t doing their part and the
teacher, according to Vigotsky we need instruction how to do something
with our knowledge, that was the origin of my proposal.
How to improve the apprentice role in speaking activities using the
Communicative approach?
Miguel Angel Torres Lozano
051350172009