THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING APPROACH (CLT) IN DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILLS FROM TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS

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 purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of teachers’ perception and practice of English language teaching in the implementation of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach in two Chinese universities, which was conducted with three pragmatic purposes: 1). to investigate teachers’ perception on the characteristics of CLT approach used in English language teaching; 2). to identify teachers’ perceived practice of instructional strategies with CLT approach in helping students develop their communicative language skills; 3). to explore the problems and obstacles in the midst of English language teaching with it. The mixed methodology of (Quant +qual) approaches was employed in this study. The data was collected from forty college English teachers who were working at the Department of Applied English through survey questionnaire, a case study, and semi-structured phone-call interview. The findings revealed that almost teachers’ perception and practice had a noticeably positive correlativity with the characteristics of CLT approach in ELT, directly manifesting that the three intricate characteristics and instructional strategies of CLT approach in practice as they’ve frequently perceived highly related to the improvement of students’ English language communication skills, respectively. Nevertheless, some problems and obstacles were likewise illustrated, which probed to be difficultly operated in prolific English language teaching class within CLT approach. Implications for the study are that teachers’ perception and practice of ELT with the characteristics of CLT approach have meaningful effects on ELT development in Chinese higher education as well as the exhibited issues in class operation profoundly requires consideration to be kept from in college class.

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

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.

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.

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has a long history in an English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom. It is an approach which focuses on developing learners’ communicative skills in a meaningful context. However, the application of communicative language teaching (CLT) in an English language classroom has recently been debated extensively. Teachers still find it difficult and challenging to adopt CLT effectively in the classroom. This paper aims to report the application of CLT in a Year 3 English language classroom during a 90-minute lesson. Specifically, the study intended to observe and describe whether or not the teacher focused on CLT in terms of lesson development and implementation. Data was collected using an observation checklist and field notes in accordance with the objective of the study. The collected data was analysed using content analysis and validated by interrater reliability. The findings have indicated strengths and weaknesses in the lesson conducted. This can be seen in certain features of the observation towards CLT such as pair or group work activities, fluency of the language, error correction implemented by the teacher and the role of the teacher. It can be concluded that CLT approach should be given importance in the classroom by teachers in the learning process.

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.

<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>

Teaching language with effective theories, directions and ways of instructing is a vital topic in the current fields of teaching and learning. Locating the most appropriate and effective teaching and learning methodologies and strategies for a given situation is important for language learning classrooms. Over the years, many theories have been created to meet the needs of the learners of that time period. However, due to the rapid development of social and cultural environments, a large number of contemporary theories have been developed and employed in a variety of different approaches and applications. This paper is a literature review paper which discusses the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach, together with relevant teaching and learning methodologies and strategies. The purpose of this paper is to outline advantages, disadvantages and applications of CLT. The researcher reviewed some historical and some current papers relating to how a CLT approach can be beneficial in the current classroom environment. The result of this paper was provision of an effective overview which applies to language teachers to assist in locating and establishing appropriate teaching and learning strategies for their students with different social and cultural backgrounds.

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 the English language teaching context in Nigeria, teacher training-institutions often use theoretical and outdated curriculum with little emphasis on the acquisition of communicative language teaching (CLT) skills or content mastery. This does not adequately prepare teachers for work in basic and secondary schools. This chapter focuses on the potential of using professional community of learning to train pre-service teachers of English in CLT approaches. Two groups of teachers with similar pre-service training were evaluated during teaching practice, with one group being exposed to CLT approaches. Results suggest that pre-service teachers that were exposed to CLT approaches performed better in class than those who were not. Following these results, the potential for replication and integration into the national teacher-training curriculum in Nigeria is explored.

The Communicative Language Teaching approach is the recommended methodology to be used in the teaching of English as a second language in Zambia primary schools. The language policy stipulates that English should be used as a language of instruction from grade five to tertiary education. Considering Zambia as a multilingual country, there seems to be a gap between the policy and practice which affects the effective teaching of English grammar using Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach. The aim of the study was to establish challenges faced by teachers when teaching English grammar using the CLT approach in grade six multilingual classrooms in Central Province of Zambia. The study used a qualitative design, and data was collected using face to face interviews. A sample of 20 grade six primary school teachers participated in the study. Data was analysed thematically. The study revealed that teachers experienced challenges such as learners’ poor proficiency in English language, learners’ low classroom participation, teachers’ lack of proficiency in the learners’ dominant local language, lack of teaching and learning materials, teacher to pupil ratio, and learners’ linguistic diversities in the classroom. The study recommended that teachers should be trained on how to navigate the complexities of multilingual classroom when teaching English grammar.

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.

In Japan, the ability to speak and understand English is widely regarded as essential for communication in a ‘globalized’ world. At the same time, however, many Japanese are reluctant to communicate in English because they perceive themselves (and are often perceived by others) to be poor speakers of English, despite the fact that they will have studied English for at least six years in junior and senior high school. In response to this, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has recently revised the national syllabus for English teaching. The revised syllabus places more emphasis on developing oral communication skills, and proposes a much greater use of communicative language teaching (CLT) methodology in order to bring this about. This paper describes the present situation of CLT in Japan based on questionnaire data obtained from 48 Japanese university students, and proposes that a more effective and practical approach to CLT and English teaching more generally may be obtained by adopting a ‘World Englishes’ point of view.

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