Teaching Methods, Approaches and Strategies Found in EFL Classrooms: A Case Study in Lao PDR

This study explores English Language Teaching (ELT) methodologies at IAI Al-Aziziyah Islamic Institution, addressing the methods used, adherence to pedagogical criteria, and challenges in implementation. Employing a qualitative case study design with in-depth interviews involving four lecturers, the research revealed significant reliance on traditional approaches, particularly the Grammar-Translation Method (GTM), for teaching grammar and vocabulary. While contemporary methodologies like Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and Content-Based Instruction (CBI) were adopted to some extent, their inconsistent application highlighted limitations, including inadequate use of real-life contexts and collaborative tasks. Minimal application of Task-Based Learning (TBL) and Total Physical Response (TPR) further reflected a gap between theoretical ideals and practice. Challenges such as large class sizes, limited teaching resources, and the complexity of integrating Islamic values into ELT were prominent. The findings emphasize the need for professional development, enhanced institutional support, and culturally adaptive teaching methods to improve ELT outcomes in the Aceh context. This study underscores the importance of aligning ELT methodologies with local cultural and religious values while fostering communicative competence and active learning. Future research should investigate innovative strategies for integrating Islamic perspectives into ELT practices.

Teaching methodology has a significant impact on the learning process of students. The English language has changed over time. This research investigates the most appropriate and useful teaching methods for teaching General English (GE) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in the Saudi context. This study is an attempt to share experienced English as a foreign language (EFL)/ English as a second language (ESL) teachers' methodology for teaching EG and ESP to Saudi EFL learners. The paper aims to answer the following questions: 1) What are the conventional methods for teaching GE and ESP?; 2) What are the English teachers' perceptions of these effective teaching pedagogies?; 3) What are the practical measures to improve student efficiency in learning English? The sample of the study was n = 63 English teachers randomly selected at different universities in Saudi Arabia. For collecting the quantitative data, 63 native and non-native experienced English teachers were requested to fill in a semi-structured questionnaire. The results show that 73% of the English language teachers prefer to use the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) along with other teaching methods. The findings shed light on some highly useful teaching methods that have proved successful in EG and ESP classes. The researchers expect the study will be significant in contributing to the most appropriate methods used in Saudi Arabia for language teachers. Hopefully, teachers wishing to teach in the future will have an insight into the teaching methods that fulfill the requirements of the students.

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.

The development of modern society requires highly qualified specialists in different fields of industry, who can communicate effectively and interact productively with foreign colleagues. Proficiency in a foreign language has become crucial for a specialist’s personal and professional growth. This paper aimes to study the impact of communicative foreign language teaching methods on developing undergraduate students' communicative competence at Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University. This research employs general scientific approaches and methods: theoretical for analysis, generalisation of the main provisions of the research and clarifying the essence and features of the process of developing communicative competence; and empirical: a questionnaire, observations, testing and conversations for examining the level of undergraduate students' communicative competence. This paper starts with the analysis of theoretical fundamentals of communicative competence in foreign language learning, its general components. It briefly describes some foreign language teaching methods focused on communication activities in foreign language classes. Due to the data of the survey conducted at Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, the impact of implementing communicative foreign language teaching methods on developing undergraduate students' communicative competence was examined. According to the study's findings, communicative foreign language teaching methods promote students' interest and foster their engagement in the learning process, raise their motivation and improve their communication proficiency in English. The combination of innovative and traditional technologies, such as writing essays or reports, constructing scenarios, modelling communicative situations, role-playing, case-studying, etc., plays a critical role in the foreign language classroom learning. Undergraduate students felt more confident in speaking and writing in English due to the learner-centered approach and numerous interactions and communication activities undertaken in a foreign language class. Key words: communicative competence, foreign language learning, undergraduate students, proficiency, communication.

English has been taught over decades in different countries as L1, L2 and Foreign language. In Afghanistan, it has been taught as a foreign language over the past years at universities and schools with different methods. The application of grammar translation method was the new subject in Afghanistan. In English Department, the instructors applied direct method, communicative language teaching and other methods, but grammar translation method was applied in the first and second classes. In junior and senior classes, in most cases, the teachers applied direct method because the learners had the knowledge of English language to get the information in the class in the best way. This research was based on quantitative and the data were collected via questionnaire. The findings showed that the instructors used grammar translation method in the fresh and sophomore classes. For the learners who came from the rural areas had difficulties in understanding the written and spoken English in the classes. In the junior and senior classes, instructors used direct method because the learners had the knowledge of English language. Finally, the empirical research concluded the application of grammar translation method used more the in the first and second classes of English Department. Key words: grammar translation method, performance, application, teaching and learning.

In response to the challenges of ASEAN Economic Community 2015, Ministry of Education announced the latest policies to reform teaching and learning English at the basic education level adapting communicative language teaching (CLT) flexibly and appropriately to the Thai context, and using information computer technology (ICT) media as a tool to enhance teaching skills and knowledge of teachers. This article deals with the implementation and evaluation a professional development program for technology integration in CLT for 32 in-service EFL teachers from primary and secondary school levels with the foci on 1) evaluation of the in-service EFL teachers’ knowledge and skills in CLT and technology integration in CLT and, 2) the in-service EFL teachers’ experiences with participating in the program. The results show that the post- test scores of the in-service teachers’ knowledge in CLT and technology integration in CLT were significantly higher than the pre-test scores. However, their skills in CLT and technology integration in CLT were at the low level. Almost all participants reported having positive experiences with the program.

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:

This study has attempted to assess the current implementation of communicative language teaching (CLT) approach in two Ethiopian universities to identify professional development (PD) needs of English language teachers. A cross-sectional study using teachers, students and management as sources of information was applied to conduct the study. Data were gathered through teachers’ questionnaire, interview schemes, focus group discussion and classroom observation, and analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The study has found out that a good number of teachers of the universities lack appropriate professional preparations in CLT, particularly in-service training. Though most teachers make self-report that they have sufficient subject matter knowledge and pedagogical knowledge and skills of CLT, data from department heads, student discussions and classroom observations tend to contradict with the report of most teachers. Moreover, the teachers seem to have positive beliefs about CLT, but their implementation of the approach has been challenged by several factors. Furthermore, the study suggests the management of the universities to be supportive of PD initiatives to improve CLT implementation of their respective universities. Finally, the study has concluded that in addition to strengthening the existing pre-service CLT training, it is essential for the universities to arrange in-service PD opportunities to sustainably support the teachers to improve their CLT implementation and ensure continuous and effective student learning.

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.

This study discovers the techniques employed by English teachers in teaching writing skills at the secondary level in Tanahun District, Nepal, while identifying the key challenges they encounter. Adopting a mixed-method approach, the research incorporates questionnaires, classroom observations, and interviews with ten English teachers (five from public and five from private schools). Findings expose that teachers mostly use an eclectic approach, combining traditional grammar-translation methods with communicative language teaching (CLT) strategies, such as guided writing, free writing, and peer feedback. However, significant barriers hamper effective instruction, including large class sizes, insufficient teaching resources (e.g., audio-visual aids, textbooks), and students' weak foundational skills in grammar and vocabulary. The study emphasizes the need for targeted teacher training programs, improved resource allocation, and policy reforms to develop writing pedagogy in secondary education. By highlighting these challenges and practices, the research offers valuable insights for curriculum designers, policymakers, and educators aiming to strengthen English language instruction in Nepal and similar contexts.

Previous studies have largely focused on the importance, problems, and challenges of teaching second languages in Australian schools, but very few have investigated the teaching methods used in the classroom to do so. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the methods applied by teachers who teach Indonesian as a second language in one of the public primary schools in South Australia to enable their Australian students to comprehend the instruction in the Indonesian class. The data were collected through observational field notes and video recordings of three class meetings from two teachers. Evidence gives validity to analysis, and thus the data were analysed using the transcription conventions as proposed by Burns, Joyce & Gollin (1996). The results showed that the most frequently used methods by the teachers in teaching Indonesian to the Early Year level students were TPR (total physical response) and GTM (grammar-translation method). TPR was useful as the act of moving around seemed to help the children remember the vocabulary. Furthermore, GTM helped the teachers clarify the meanings of words and sentences for the students by translating them into their first language, i.e. English. These methods were not taught in isolation but were integrated by the teachers with other methods such as the direct method and audio-lingual method. The reflection of this teaching practice is considered a worthwhile contribution for other teachers who are also teaching Indonesian in other countries and as additional insights to immerse themselves in their language teaching practice. Moreover, considering the benefits of becoming bilingual, such as in communication, culture, cognition, character, curriculum, and economy, schools should provide more training for teachers to help them be able to use the best techniques in teaching the second language to enable and empower them to integrate other languages into their classes.

This report provides an overview of English education policy in Korea following the sixth national curriculum, which focused on promoting the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) ethos. Considering the complexity of implementing CLT in English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts, this paper focuses on native-speakerism in CLT as a framework of inquiry to shed light on how language ideology interacts with English education policy in Korea. Given that the direction of educational policy typically reflects the educational priorities of the national government, this paper first maps out the educational landscape in Korea with a focus on the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). Then, drawing on previous scholarly work, It examines the persistent divide between the issues affecting native and non-native English teachers as reflected in educational policies guided by CLT principles. In identifying the key factors that influence language policies involving CLT, this paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the dichotomy between native and non-native English teachers and with suggestions for the direction of future research.

Selection of an appropriate method for learning and teaching second language is significantly important. For this purpose, various types of methods and approaches are suggested and employed. The present study intended to investigate the beliefs of teachers and students about Grammar Translation Method (GTM) and Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). Through purposive sampling eight female teachers and students of university were selected. The study was qualitative. Interview protocol and observation were used for data collection. NVivo (Version 10) was used to perform the content analysis. The participants showed a positive inclination towards the features of CLT to be used in English language classrooms. On the basis of the results, the study suggests adopting CLT in English language classrooms to improve learners’ communicative skills. For future research, directions are also suggested.

Pedagogy in English as foreign language situations has undergone a significant shift at present and receiving an increased attention of educators and scholars from worldwide that teaching strategies should ensure the involvement of students in learning activities. This qualitative research study aims to explore the perceptions and experiences of teachers on student engagement in secondary level EFL classrooms. Four English language teachers as research participants were purposively selected from public secondary schools of Kanchanpur district, Nepal. I employed narrative inquiry as a research method in which in-depth interview protocols were used as research tools to obtain the information. The findings of the study showed that English teachers at secondary level make efforts to employ student-focused teaching methods to promote student engagement in learning activities. The study also revealed that English teachers utilize student-centred techniques like group and pair work, conversation, project works, presentations, role-playing, spelling and quiz contests, etc., to engage students in learning. The study further revealed student motivation as crucial element of teaching that teachers employ promoting students’ learning through their active involvement. Likewise, this study revealed students’ poor base of English as the primary challenge, and other challenges like lack of infrastructural facility and ICT facilitated classes for language teaching-learning. The findings suggest that English teachers need to devise their teaching plans to improve students’ basic knowledge in English. They have to develop students’ confidence level providing extensive exposure to English so that they feel comfortable involving in learning activities.

The implementation of foreign language learning in Indonesia is an effort to develop the education of the Indonesian nation to be able to absorb and follow the development of science and technology in the world, as well as a way to enter the global society. The use of English as a foreign language in Indonesian education aims to improve the quality of students so that they can compete in the international realm. In learning English, speaking ability is a very important aspect, especially for teachers. Implementation in the classroom, the teacher is expected to be a good facilitator and motivator so that students have an increasing enthusiasm for learning. One of the teaching methods that can be applied is Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). The development of English education can be done using the Communicative Learning Teaching (CLT) method where the concept used is through Communicative Competence. The method of writing this article uses qualitative research methods with a literature review approach. The result of this research is the author's presentation of the developmental efforts that can be made by teachers and students in developing English education.