RESEARCH PAPER- 2 m wasim ch -pub-IJHSSR

CITATION: Chaudhry W M. (2014) Acceptability Of Communicative Language Teaching:
With Particular Reference To Public Colleges In The Punjab. International Journal of
Humanities and Social Sciences Research (IJHSSR). 1(1) pp 29-42.
Acceptability Of Communicative Language Teaching: With Particular
Reference To Public Colleges In The Punjab
Muhammad Wasim Chaudhry
University of Lahore, Lahore Pakistan.
Weseem_chpikf@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this paper is to familiarize teachers with TBL and it can be a cure the
phenomenon of increasing failures at college level in the province. It may look strange to call
all efforts of the hardworking teachers as time and energies of them going waste just because
of faulty methodology. Communicative aspect is not just being neglected; language is being
taught in an unnatural way. The resolution of the problem can be traced through task based
learning, by those wishing to expand their knowledge of the profession. Its secondary
purpose is to provide not only basic definition of this particular methodology, but also to give
a brief contrast to other classroom models and situations, to prove its validity. [CITATION:
Chaudhry W M. (2014) Acceptability Of Communicative Language Teaching: With
Particular Reference To Public Colleges In The Punjab. International Journal of Humanities
and Social Sciences Research (IJHSSR). 1(1) pp 29-42.]
Keywords: First Language (L1), Second Language (L2), Second Language Acquisition
(SLA), Task-Based Learning (TBL), Lesson Model, PPP, TTT, TBL
INTRODUCTION
The PPP Lesson model (Presentation, Practice, and Production) offered a comfortable and
safe framework (Skehan: 1996:17) to the teachers of English. It is important to meet the
specific needs of one’s learners and that an authentic context can enhance the learning
experience. A failure to deliver on both of these counts is one of the major reasons why the
PPP model is criticized. It is also the reason why I have chosen to examine an alternative to
this model: Task-based learning also referred to as TBL.
LITERATURE REVIEW ON COMPARISON OF LESSON MODELS
The important role of output in language acquisition has been one of the main justifications
behind the task-based teaching approach. It is based on the premise that output coupled with
International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (IJHSSR)

noticing the “gaps” is necessary for successful SLA (Swain, 1995). Although Bowen suggests
that the language presented in the 'teach' can be predicted (especially if the initial test is
carefully chosen), there is a distinct danger of randomness which in turn means that the
language focus may not reflect the needs of the learner. The quality of oral production has
been the main focus of task-based research. Three aspects of output – fluency, accuracy, and
complexity (Skehan: 1996) – are hypothesized to influence the interlanguage system in
different ways. Accuracy is the capacity to handle whatever level of interlanguage complexity
the learner has currently attained. Complexity is associated with testing the boundaries of the
underlying interlanguage system by attempting to produce new vocabulary and structures that
have not been well integrated into the interlanguage system. Fluency is the capacity to
mobilize the interlanguage system to communicate meaning in real time. Each of the three
aspects of language production is important for language acquisition, and each affects
language acquisition in a different way. Knowing the effect of various task variables on
learners’ production, teachers can manipulate learners’ attention to the three aspects of speech
and thus promote the learners’ language acquisition in desirable ways.
The TBL model for organizing lessons is offered by Willis (1996). Task-based learning is not
entirely different from the aforementioned TTT, although this approach clearly takes into
account the need for authentic communication-communication in real life or life like
situations. Such a framework theoretically provides the learner with an opportunity to use the
language they need for genuine communication (Harden et.al: 1996). I will now consider how
this approach benefits the learner, and how it theoretically eliminates the pitfalls of other
teaching approaches. A need to achieve the objectives of the task and report on it provide
short-term motivation. Long-term motivation will be gained from successfully completing
tasks (Willis: 1996). Bowen (2002) notes that the range of useable tasks offer a great deal of
flexibility and should also lead to more motivating activities for learners. TBL also therefore
accommodates different learning styles There are clear instances in TBL in which the learner
has the chance to privately practice the language, using it fluently, and then to publicly show
other learners that they can use the language in a fluent and accurate manner. There is no such
opportunity or necessity for public performance in the other methodologies. Task-based
learning offers action and reflection.
Student’s Profile:

The college education is mostly particular with the public sector. But gradually private sector
colleges are also emerging now with change in government policies minimising burden on
the public sector and involving more and more public private partnership. But the
methodology at college level is usually the same. The courses as well as the Boards of
Examinations are common. A bulk of the students emerge from public schools imparted
instruction in languages English/ Urdu/ Arabic etc. on the pattern of Grammar Translation
Method.
Despite the fact that English is placed on the curriculum as a compulsory subject at all levels
right from primary classes to the Graduation no serious effort has ever been made by
the government to maintain the standard of teaching outcomes in the schools. At the
time of President Musharraf (2005) the government introduced English as a medium of
instruction in government schools for the subjects of science and math’s from grade 1.
Since the time the British parliamentarian lord Macaulay had announced that English
should be compulsory in the sub continent to keep hegemony.
‘I have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person
who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high
moral values, people of such caliber, that I do not think we would ever conquer this
country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and
cultural heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient
education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and
English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their
native culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation.
The implementation of the rules of English language in the system prevails till yet in
our educational field the elite class of that time adopted this language as a symbol of
very sacred and very prestigious legacy of English men in the form of foreign
language that is English. Lord Macaulay: speech in Parliament (Feb.1835)
On the departure of the British from our country it was assume that the legacy of British will
also take an exit from the sub continent but unfortunately it had strengthen its roots in such a
way that despite it to be shaken it get more and more dominance and popularity by ours. The
parliamentarian Lord Macaulay introduced this course on the innocent people in such a way
that our national language that Urdu received a great and a great setback in the development.
Either a student is from the discipline of engineering, medical, science, arts, education,

computer, maths or any other he has to study English language as a compulsory subject or his
other course is wholly dependent on English (Rehman, 2011). Recently, against efforts to
promote Urdu, the government of the Punjab has declared schools of major 26 cities English
medium to improve the standard of the public sector schools keeping in view the growing
strength of English medium Grammar and Lyceum schools. The syllabi have been replaced,
Teacher Training Programs have been conducted but due to insufficiency of funds these
programs cannot be launched for longer durations.
Most of the teachers themselves don’t have the Listening/speaking proficiency of English so
they cannot improve the proficiency of these skills among the students. Even if the students
come up with these two skills it is not because of teaching. Other factors like learning from
outside world might have contributed to the student’s proficiency.
Necessity of New Methodology
Due to increased rate of failures at college level in the subject of English, and despite change
in the curriculum, it has been noticed that the rate of failures could not be improved. The
motivational issue is out of question as there is increasing demand of English in every
profession. No such feeling of hate exists now as majority of the public is in favour of
English medium Education. Increasing number of English medium schools is a clear
indicator. The only remaining option is the teaching methodology. It has been anticipated by
the researcher that change in methodology can improve the conditions much better. The
author having long experience in the field believes that communicative approach to language
teaching can solve the issue to a great extent. The methodology has been tested at college
level with the BS-Hon classes with much better results.
It is an accepted fact in my institution that learners cannot possibly be taught all the English
that they need to know in one academic year. Consequently, a large part of their classroom
time is allotted to teaching skills that will (i) allow learners to cope with academic English
using the level of language they have thus far attained, and (ii) to encourage autonomous
learning through the development of learning skills and the use of resources relevant to their
future academic careers. Therefore, a methodology that supports the reflective learner,
encourages autonomy and accommodates a range of learning styles should suit my learners'
needs.
Task-based Technique:

Typically there are three stages or phases of TBL (Willis: 1996): The Pre-Task, The Task
Cycle and The Language Focus.
The Pre-task Phase: Before the task, the teacher explores the topic with the class. Useful
(relevant) lexical items may be given. Also, the learners may be given further input, such as a
recording of someone doing a similar task or part of an authentic text as a lead in. During the
pre-task stage the learners will have their schemata activated, and given the opportunity to
become personally involved in the lesson.
The Task Cycle: The task cycle can be broken down into three stages (Willis: 1998); task, in
which the learners do the task; planning, when the learners prepare to report to the whole
class (usually orally or in writing) how they did the task; and report, when the reports are
presented to the class and results compared. During the task, the teacher monitors and
encourages all attempts at communication without correcting. Willis suggests that this
harbours a free environment in which learners are willing to experiment (as mistakes aren't
important). At this stage in a PPP lesson the focus would be very much on accuracy, with all
mistakes corrected. During the planning stage, the learners are aware that their output will be
'made public' and will consequently aim for accuracy. The role of the teacher here is therefore
to provide assistance with regard to language advice. The teacher then chairs the report, and
comments on the content. At this stage, the focus is on both fluency and accuracy (Bowen:
2002). Also, the learners may hear a recording or read a text of a similar task, in order to
compare how they did it.
Language Focus: The language focus consists of analysis and practice. In the analysis
learners examine the recording or text for new lexical items or structures, which they then
record. The teacher conducts a practice of the new items either during the analysis or after.
The learners are given the opportunity to reflect on how they performed the task and on the
new language they used in this final part of the lesson (Harden et al: 1996).
Classroom Practice/ Implications
Curriculum and scheme of studies are primary task of the teacher at college level. Yet as the
courses demand writing as the most important skill; it has to be catered to. The problem has
all along been inability of the methodology to inculcate writing skill without speaking skill.
Speaking is a major skill that is nourished on non-active communicative skill-listening. It
lends its influence on writing in the form of communicativeness, organization and coherence
of ideas. Without these good writing is next to impossible.TBL basically cater to these

negligent parts of grammar teaching approach or test teaching test approach. Our students
have undergone the latter two: so the first one is being put forward as a solution.
Indeed, it is true to say that utilising learner interaction (which clearly occurs in TBL) as a
teaching method is underused, mainly due to the fear of factors such as a reversion to L1
(Dinou:2001). However, the relevance of learner motivation and involvement cannot be
overlooked. Learner-centred methods, such as TBL, draw on the learner's knowledge, and
consequently materials are selected on the basis of both their needs and interests. Learning
can be seen as a collaborative enterprise, in which there is a great deal of negotiation between
the teacher and learner.
Nevertheless, when considering TBL it is necessary to examine the context in which it is to
be used, and furthermore the possible reaction of the learners. Will learners openly accept a
methodology that is alien to them? If learners are unfamiliar with TBL, then it will be
necessary to negotiate with learners to make sure that they are happy to learn in this way. If
this can be done, then the learners become stakeholders in the approach. It is therefore vital
for me as a teacher to take into account teaching environment of students here and apply this
new approach sensitively.
Also, as stated, TBL is of particular relevance as language is used for a genuine purpose,
meaning that real communication should take place. Furthermore, learners are forced to
consider language form in general rather than focusing on a single structure (Bowen: 2002),
as is the case in PPP. Another way in which TBL is more relevant to learners than PPP is that
the aim of TBL is to integrate all four skills and move from fluency to accuracy plus fluency
(Bowen:2002)).
The Framework of TBL
Just in order to see the TBL cycle, we are enclosing the following framework:
Figure-1

.
.
Classroom Activities at Intermediate to Advanced Level:
You can let the students work together or alone when they read and fill in the format. When
everybody has finished with the text and the format, students should be given time to tell
each. Basically, it is the prescribed texts that a teacher has to bother. But the mode needs to be
changed.
Figure-2
Text
Opinion, knowledge and experience of the
author, teacher
Task
Opinion, knowledge and experience of the
student
The motivating element here is that it becomes a choice of the student which information to
put into the format and that each student will have to make a case for his/her choice when
talking about the text in class.
When students tell each other what they have chosen to put down in the format, they are also
given a time to work with difficult words and phrases from the text. Here they can ask each
other about meanings without being exposed to the attention of the whole class and they can
ask the teacher about words and phrases that they did not understand fully in the reading
process.
The teacher can walk around in the class room and monitor the students reading and filling in
the format and the teacher can listen to the students when they talk about they own work with
the text. This phase leaves the teacher with a chance and opportunity to listen in and pick up
good examples, but more importantly, to pick up problems and misunderstandings related to
the text and the specific language.
Language consciousness activities

Well acclaimed ‘Task-Based Exercises’ of Trit, G. can be of substantial help for new teachers
practising TBL. According to him, you can choose to let different students write their own
result from the format on the class board. It should never be only one student alone at the
board. It must always be more than one student who delivers the examples for the
consciousness raising activities. Remember that it is always motivating to see for yourself
what other students have come up with – especially when you have chosen your own answers
for specific reasons and put an effort into it. You must use that feeling as motivation factor in
your classes.
You can also choose to do the same activity as an oral activity, where you ask students to read
what they have written down in their format. You must then yourself write down some
relevant examples on the black board.
It is important to pick up the relevant grammatical points in this phase of the TBL cycle. This
is a crucial moment for documenting the necessity of extra work with specific grammatical
elements for the students at this level. And you have the full attention of the students, because
they have delivered the examples that you work with jointly in class for language
consciousness raising activities (Trit:2000).
TBL Boosters
 Planning and preparation on the part of teacher is prerequisite.
 Use the foreign language as much as possible.
 Use only mother tongue when necessary for explanation of exercises.
 The pre-task is meant to help create a good atmosphere for learning without anxiety.
Give words and supporting sentences for students to use.
 The pre-task must supply words, phrases, ideas to support the individual student in the
main task.
 Remember that a pre-task can be anything as for example:
o audio text o a video clip o a brainstorm activity o a small exercise ( cloze, cross
word etc. ) o photos (what do you see?) o webpage ( what do you see?)

- Anything that will promote the foreign language and set the minds of the students
into a certain context and atmosphere.
 The main task must facilitate a process where each student can activate and use
his/her own strategies.
 Teacher role in the main task: monitoring the processes of the students working with
the main task.
 Remember the importance of the last step, the consciousness raising activities:
o Students repeat their process and their work with the main task – must be performed
in class – the process will make students realize that language is diverse and that
many different structures and words give meaning and can be used for
communication.
 The teacher must pick up and draw attention to relevant grammatical and semantic
points in this last phase of the TBL-cycle.
Analysis Merits/Limitations
Learners who are used to a more traditional grammatical syllabus may find this approach
difficult to come to terms with. This is primarily due to the apparent randomness of TBL, a
criticism shared with TTT. Just because the teacher is aware of the benefits of this type of
methodology, will the learners ever grasp what is going on, or what they are supposed to have
gained from the experience?
In addition, Little wood (1999) notes that one of the features of TBL that worries teachers is
that it seems to have no place for the teaching of grammar. Nevertheless, Willis (1998)
suggests there are two phases of TBL in which focus on form prove beneficial (Willis: 1998).
Firstly, the planning stage between the private task and the public report promotes close
attention to language form. Secondly, the language analysis activities provide a focus on form
through consciousness-raising processes. To summarise, TBL does not, or rather should not,
mean 'forget the grammar' (Willis: 1998).
CONCLUSION
TBL offers a structured approach to learning, and supports the notion that learning occurs
most effectively when related to the real-life tasks undertaken by an individual. TBL

encourages the development of the reflective learner, and accommodates a wide range of
learning styles. TBL offers an attractive combination of pragmatism and idealism:
pragmatism in the sense that learning with an explicit sense of purpose is an important source
of student motivation and satisfaction; idealism in that it is consistent with current theories of
education.
Nevertheless, teachers wishing to branch out and develop through the use of alternative
methodologies should be careful not to jump on the latest language learning bandwagon.
Michael McCarthy, the eminent applied linguist, suggests that TBL figures high on such a list
of latest fads, and in its strongest forms risks relegating learning about the language system to
a secondary place, subservient to some real-world task (Mc Carthy:2005). TBL, as a practical
and pedagogically sound alternative, should not exclude grammar and vocabulary learning
via a systematic syllabus, as systematic progression is a key psychological concept for
learners.

REFERENCES:
Bowen, T. (2002) Task-Based Learning, ONE STOP ENGLISH WEBSITE
(http://www.onestopenglish.com/)
Dinou, G. (2001) A New Approach to Course Design: Task-Based Learning, TESOL
GREECE CONFERENCE PAPER 2001 (http://www.tesolgreece.com/dinou01.shtml)
Harden, R.M., Laidlaw, J.M., Ker, J.S. and Mitchell, H.E. (1996) Task-Based Learning: An
Educational Strategy for Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Continuing Education, MEDICAL
TEACHER JOURNAL (1996) Volume 18, no.1 pp.7-13 and Volume 18, no.2 pp.91-98
Littlewood, W. (1999) Task-Based Learning of Grammar, HONG KONG BAPTIST
UNIVERSITY (http://www.eltnews.com/features/interviews/036_michael_mccarthy1.shtml)
McCarthy, M. (2005) quoted in an interview for ELT News website, ELT NEWS WEBSITE
(http://www.eltnews.com/features/%20interviews/036_michael_mccarthy2.shtml)
Moor, P. (2000) Implementing a Task-Based Approach Without Task-Based Materials, IH
WORLD INTERNET JOURNAL (http://www.ihworld.com/ihworldjournal/)
Lord Macaulay (1835) LORD MACAULAY’S ADDRESS TO THE BRITISH
PARLIAMENT, 2 FEBRUARY, 1835
Rehman, Tariq (2011) From Hindi to Urdu: A Social and Political History
Skeehan, P., (1996), A Cognitive Approach to Language Leaning, OUP
Stone, L. (2000) Task-Based Activities: Making the Language Laboratory Interactive, ERIC
CLEARINGHOUSE ON LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICS
Swain M. (1985) Communicative competence: Some roles of comprehensible input and
comprehensible output in its development. In S. Gass & C. Madden (Eds.), Input in second
language acquisition (pp. 235-253). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
Tritt, G. (2000) Task-Based Exercises,
(http://tritt.bizland.com/swissenglish/tbl/richmond.htm)
Willis, J. (1996) A Framework for Task-Based Learning, LONGMAN ADDISON-WESLEY
Willis, J. (1998) ‘Task-Based Learning: What Kind of Adventure?’ JAPAN ASSOCIATION
FOR LANGUAGE TEACHING WEBSITE
(http://langue.hyper.chubu.ac.jp/jalt/pub/tlt/98/jul/willis.shtml)

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