Communicative language teaching in Japan: current practices and future prospects

This chapter outlines developments in the reform of English language teaching (ELT) in Japan. It outlines how Japan has an implicit deeply entrenched educational system based on Confucianism and how this system is undergoing change. The chapter is organised with reference to a dynamic interplay of global economic realities, ELT policy reforms and how these reforms affect the way in which academic performance is measured. Reforms in the national curriculum in secondary education, national university entrance exams and institutional policies have brought about the need for teachers at secondary- and tertiary level to broker a new approach to teaching and learning. Specific reference is made to lessons involving an active learning approach at Tokyo University of Science, Japan.

The current study mainly aims at investigating the effectiveness of using Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach in developing students’ speaking skills at Sudanese secondary school levels from English language teachers’ perceptions. Also, the study seeks to find out the problems that hinder the teachers’ from implementing the CLT approach. To meet these aims and objectives the researcher employed a quantitative approach using a descriptive design. The researcher used the survey to collect data from the participants of the study. The random sampling technique was applied to select the sample out of all English language teachers at Omdurman Locality. Therefore, (100) female and male teachers have participated in this study. The information gained from the surveys was analyzed using the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study revealed the following findings: First of all, the majority of participants strongly agree that there is a positive relationship between teachers’ attitudes and effective usage of the communicative approach. The mains statements that gathered the highest level of response are: I think using CLT in my classroom helps my whole teaching process and using CLT in my class helps me share ideas and opinions with my learners. This means that most of the study participants assured that the use of CLT in the classrooms helped them to share the knowledge and facilitated their teaching process. Secondly, the majority of participants agree that there are effective factors that hinder teachers from using communicative approach to develop students speaking skills. The main statements which gathered their highest level of response are the following: Lack of authentic materials hinder the use of CLA in my and classroom size makes using CLT in my classroom more difficult. This clearly shows that the most effective factors that hinder teachers from implementing CLT in their classes are lacking of authentic material and classroom size. Finally, the majority of participants strongly agree that the communicative approach to develop students speaking skills – in general, and the main statements which gathered their highest level of response: Using CLA enhances students speaking skills, and I think using CLT motivates my student to speak accurately inside and outside the classroom. This result indicates that their participants of the study confirmed that using CLT in classroom enhanced their students speaking skill and motivated them to speak fluently. Article visualizations:

Communicative language teaching (CLT) is considered as a teaching approach that assists learners to achieve communicative competence. However, it seems as though a major gap exists regarding how teachers’ beliefs affect the implementation of CLT in primary school. In the study reported on here, we examined how primary school teachers’ beliefs affect the way in which CLT is implemented in Zimbabwe using a case study of five purposively selected teachers. The analysis aimed to explore what the teachers believed about CLT and how their beliefs were reflected in their classroom practices. The study adopted an inductive thematic analysis that permitted an understanding of how teacher beliefs affected classroom practice through teacher–learner and learner–learner interactions. Data from classroom observations, interviews, documents and field notes were analysed to reveal the phenomenon under study. A major finding of this study reveals that teachers hold beliefs that are not in support of the use of CLT. These beliefs are pedagogical and methodological, and both influence the way in which CLT is implemented. Teachers had their own ideas about CLT and the activities that should be used when implementing it. The teachers’ beliefs were established through observing how teachers implemented CLT and through the knowledge that they had about the approach. In view of the foregoing major finding, it is recommended that teacher training colleges should not emphasise traditional methods of teaching but rather focus more on CLT as a teaching approach.

<p>One of the main aims behind learning English as a foreign language (EFL) is to communicate effectively with other speakers of the English language. The justification for concentrating on the teaching and learning of English as a second language (L2), and as a foreign language, is that it is the lingua franca (Klimczak-Pawlak, 2014) and the primary language used for communication around the world (Rich, 2014). English language learners are given limited chances to practice speaking in authentic situations in class, and teaching to communicate effectively in an authentic environment is often overlooked. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) emphasizes meaning and communication in language learning, and with CLT the goal is to improve learners’ “communicative competence” (Richards & Rodgers, 2001). Nevertheless, challenges are faced when applying CLT in the EFL classrooms. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to critically explore elements of the CLT approach and to better understand some of the cultural difficulties involved in its application. The paper will propose more application of the CLT in EFL classrooms, in place of language teaching techniques currently used in the Arab context. This paper will also examine issues dealing with the theoretical background of CLT, and focus on the implementation of activities that can encourage students' communicative competence.</p>

Background and Aim: This study aims to explore the effectiveness of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and active learning activities in enhancing English reading comprehension among Prathomsuksa 6 students at Ban Nasee School. Given the challenges students face in reading comprehension, it is essential to develop effective teaching methods to enhance their skills. The researcher is interested in examining whether CLT and active learning activities can enhance students' reading abilities and what students' attitudes are toward these approaches. This study will compare students' reading comprehension abilities before and after teaching English reading using CLT and active learning activities. Additionally, it will assess students' attitudes toward the learning process. Materials and Methods: This study employed a one-group pretest-posttest design to evaluate the effectiveness of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and active learning activities in enhancing English reading comprehension among Prathomsuksa 6 students at Ban Nasee School. A total of 13 students were selected through cluster random sampling, and the study followed a one-group pretest-posttest design over 12 weeks. Thirteen students participated in 12 weeks of instruction, with two hours of class per week. The instruments used included 12 lesson plans, an English reading comprehension test, and an attitude questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (means, percentages, standard deviations) and inferential statistics (one-sample t-tests, dependent samples t-tests) to assess changes in reading comprehension and student attitudes. The findings provide insights into the potential of CLT and active learning to improve student engagement and reading comprehension in English. Results: The results of this study revealed a significant improvement in students' English reading comprehension after the implementation of CLT and active learning activities. The pretest mean score increased from 11.61 (29.05%) to 32.30 (80.77%) in the posttest, exceeding the criterion of 70%. Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference in scores, indicating that the teaching methods effectively enhanced reading comprehension. Additionally, students demonstrated a positive attitude toward the use of CLT and active learning, reflecting high levels of engagement and satisfaction with the learning process. These results suggest the effectiveness of CLT and active learning strategies in improving reading comprehension skills. Conclusion: The implementation of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and active learning activities significantly improved English reading comprehension among Prathomsuksa 6 students. The results highlight both increased reading proficiency and positive student attitudes, demonstrating the effectiveness of these teaching methods.

The communicative language teaching (CLT) approach has been extensively used in English teaching in recent decades. Many scholars have investigated CLT and English teaching from various perspectives, but few have examined teachers’ attitudes towards the CLT approach and its usage in English grammar teaching. This study aimed to investigate the rationale, the teaching effects and suggestions of English teachers in using CLT in English grammar teaching in China colleges. A qualitative research method was adopted and data was collected through an open-response questionnaire from 13 English teachers of 6 universities in China. The analysis of the data collected revealed that most of the China English teachers used CLT. Their rationale for using it are summarized in this study. The results show that CLT positively affects China college students’ English grammar learning despite some limitations, especially in cultivating their communicative competence, motivating their study interests, and modifying the classroom atmosphere, which also helps build students’ confidence. Moreover, most of the participants recommended using CLT to conduct English grammar teaching, and eight suggestions were presented to help English teachers conduct the CLT approach to grammar teaching. This study could prove a good reference for teachers who would like to teach English grammar under the CLT approach and enhance their understanding of CLT.

Recent decades have shown growing interest among outer circle language researchers and practitioners in the discussion of communicative language teaching (CLT), as both a leading teaching model and a frequently disputed dimension of language pedagogy. Repeatedly, the debate returns to the question of how to best implement CLT as a Western product in English as a foreign language (EFL) countries where contextual constraints such as low competence of teachers, student resistance, class size, and structure‐oriented books have become common issues in the local language classrooms. Drawing upon the major works on CLT implementation in EFL countries and Indonesia, this article provides a number of explanations for CLT as an advantageous approach for Indonesia's English language education and specifically argues that the challenges of CLT implementation in Indonesia can be solved and therefore should not lead teachers to abandon CLT in their EFL classrooms. Addressing the definition of CLT as a point of departure, the article reviews the literature on CLT implementation and presents an overview of CLT in Indonesia before finally suggesting possible solutions to some major CLT challenges in Indonesia's English language teaching.

In teaching English, many teachers employ different approaches in order to make the teaching and learning process successfully delivered to students. One of the approaches which is oftenly used is the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach. This research aims to investigate the teachers perceptions on the use of CLT in English classrooms. This qualitative study used personal interview method to collect the data. Five REAL English teachers at IONs International Education were chosen as the subjects of this research. The results showed that the teachers had positive responses towards the use of this approach. There were also several different perceptions on the weaknesses, difficulties, and criteria on applying it. The researcher hopes that this research can be beneficial to readers, particularly English teachers who wish to seek out the perceptions on the use of CLT approach in teaching students.DOI: doi.org/10.24071/ijiet.2019.030109

Japan is one of the most influential countries in the world's economy and politics. Although the country is perceived as being well-equipped technologically and having an industrious, highly literate, and energetic population, foreign language education, especially in English, has long been a critical issue. From the time of the Meiji Restoration (1868-1945), the Japanese have considered studying foreign languages to be tool to facilitate the Westernization of the country. It was also a key factor in Japan's recovery and rapid economic growth in the decades following the end of World War II (1945-1952). After the postwar period (1960s- present), however, foreign languages, previously seen as a one-way tool for absorbing Western civilization, became a tool for two-way communication where ideas are shared and exchanged. This has been due to the fact that, with the arrival of the 21st century, Japanese society is facing many more challenges as a result of changing cultural norms, advances in science and, most importantly, the progress of globalization in the economy and in society. Accordingly, in 2004, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) inaugurated a policy for the improvement of communication skills in English, viewing it as essential for the Japanese to acquire communication skills in English as a common international language in order to function in the 21st century. The series of reforms being introduced due to the changing needs of the country, including the efforts made, the outcomes gained and the quick expansion of foreign-language education, is worth keeping an eye on and, thus, constitutes the focal interest of this investigation.

This article is devoted to the study of the “flipped classroom” model and the effectiveness of its implementation in the foreign language teaching practice in higher education. The authors analyzed the scientific and pedagogical literature on the sought-after topic of scientists and practicing teachers in Kazakhstan and abroad. Based on the analysis, the features of blended learning are highlighted, which is the object of this study. The article examines in detail the “flipped classroom” model, active methods of foreign language teaching that help to increase learning motivation. The authors emphasize the unlimited possibilities of a foreign language virtual educational environment, as well as means of establishing feedback with students. Much attention is paid to the use of CLT (Communicative Language Teaching), which involves the active participation of students in the classroom. Referring to the works of foreign linguists, the authors divide study time into pre-communicative and communicative stages, having examined the basic principles in this process, and outlining the forms and active methods of work. In the process of experimental work, in which 28 students of the specialty “Foreign Language: two foreign languages” took part, the effectiveness of using the “flipped classroom” model in foreign language teaching was proven. To test the effectiveness of the model, open and closed tests were used to determine the level of foreign language proficiency. To test the actual level of oral and written speech proficiency at the preliminary and final stages of the experiment, open and closed types of tests were used. The analysis of statistical data was also accompanied by methods of questioning, observation, and conversation, which contributed to a comprehensive confirmation of this model’s effectiveness.

Using English as a medium of communication has become a demanding skill to pursue better academic and occupational opportunities. EFL learners need a practical method of learning English to communicate effectively and speak more fluently. Hence, this study aims to investigate teachers’ perspectives on the use of communicative language teaching to foster fluency and oral communication skills of Saudi female students majoring in English during their first year. It employs a mixed methods approach to data collection. A questionnaire of a five-point scale was used to collect data about teachers’ perspectives on using communicative language teaching in EFL classes. 32 English teachers at Taif University participated in the attitudinal questionnaire. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with two teachers to have an in-depth discussion about the quantitative data and answer the research questions. The findings revealed that teachers have a positive perspective toward using CLT to improve Saudi EFL students’ fluency and oral communication skills. Interviewed teachers significantly support implementing communicative activities, indicating the advantages of communicative-based classrooms. Thus, it is highly recommended to conduct an experimental study, presenting the difference between a communicative-based EFL class and a non-communicative EFL class in the Saudi context.

Since China initiated Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) practice, it has enjoyed increasing popularity amongst educational practitioners as well as professional researchers. This paper undertakes an in-depth and all-around analysis of pedagogical practices of English class so as to ascertain the feasibility and effectiveness of CLT in China. Although China’s educational system is centrally-controlled, the top-down intervening policy of CLT fails to improve students’ interactive competence. Due to the contextual constraints including excessive class size, limited class hours, Confucian heritage culture, teacher equalizations as well as norm-referenced assessment, current situation of English Language Teaching (ELT) nevertheless is far from aligning with the tenet of CLT. This paper reveals that direct transfer of western–originated CLT practice is infeasible and ineffectual without considering the specific contextual factors in China and doomed to be a failure. Based on this argument, a combination of traditional pedagogy and CLT with an eclectic and dichotomous perspective is proposed and recommended to put into practice in the hope of adapting CLT paradigm to the particular Chinese contexts.

This study aims to determine whether the CLT method improves students' English vocabulary mastery before and after learning using the CLT method. This is a quantitative study with a pre-experimental design. In this research design, the researcher only uses one class as an experimental class which was given treatment in the form of vocabulary learning using the CLT method. However, before the treatment was given, students would be given a test in the form of a pre-test and post-test that aimed to see the effect of the CLT method in improving students' vocabulary skills. The data from the test was collected and then the data was analyzed through descriptive statistics. The population used was all students of SMP Negeri 50 Halmahera Selatan and all were selected as samples in this study. The instrument used to collect quantitative data in this study was a vocabulary test. This test is in the form of multiple choice consisting of 30 question items. Tests distributed before and after the treatment were given as pre-test and post-test. In addition to comparing the significance value (Sig.) with a probability of 0.05, the authors also compared the t-count value with the t-table to test the hypothesis that had been made previously. The t count based on the result of paired sample test is 38,076 and the t table based on the value of df (34) is 2,042. This shows that the value of t arithmetic (37.769) > t table (2.042) it can be concluded that H0 is rejected and Ha is accepted. In other words, there is an average difference between the learning outcomes of the pre-test and post-test, which means the CLT method improves the students’ English vocabulary at SMP Negeri 50 Halmahera Selatan.

While English has been the primary foreign language to learn in junior high schools and high schools in Japan, it was introduced to elementary schools as an ”optional activity” in 2002. According to the Japanese Ministry of Education, ”MEXT,” about 97.1 percent of elementary schools throughout Japan engaged in some kind of ”English activity” with an average of 15.9 hours per year (for 6th graders) in 2007. Although these figures may indicate an increase in interest in teaching English at elementary school level, additional data suggest serious concerns among elementary school teachers. One of the main sources of the concerns is the fact that most English activities are taught by homeroom teachers who do not hold any formal teaching credentials in English. However, the MEXT has announced that English will become a ”mandatory activity,” not an academic subject. in elementary schools in 2011, which may trigger more problematic situations. This paper addresses the issues related to the implementation of elementary school English in Japan from the following perspectives: (1) Role and relevance of English in an Asian context, (2) Importance of coherent education from elementary to tertiary level, (3) Brief history and current status of elementary school English in Japan, (4) Professional competencies for elementary school English: pedagogical competency and English ability. Although English is recognized as the most widely used language of international communication, there has been no consensus of opinion about the purpose and goal of English education at elementary school level yet in Japan. In principle, teacher training and induction will not be offered to elementary homeroom teachers. In addition, the requirements for teachers of elementary school English have not yet been clarified by the MEXT. Main findings of the survey with 600 elementary school teachers, conducted in 2006 and 2007, and suggestions for designing of elementary school curriculum, teaching materials, and teacher education will also be discussed for further research.

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in Malaysian Context: Its’ Implementation in Selected Community Colleges