Jack C. Richards on Communicative Language Teaching

Cambridge University Press ELT

25 Jun 201202:40

Summary

TLDRThe video script discusses Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), an educational approach that emphasizes communication over grammar. CLT focuses on developing communicative competence as the primary goal, encouraging students to use language for real-life interactions. It advocates for classroom activities that facilitate communication, such as role plays and information sharing, to enhance language proficiency. CLT has evolved into various forms like task-based and content-based teaching, remaining relevant in modern language education.

Takeaways

📚 Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is an approach that focuses on teaching language for effective communication.
🔄 CLT emerged as a reaction to traditional methods that were grammar-focused and prioritized accuracy over communication.
🎯 The goal of CLT is to develop 'communicative competence', which is the ability to communicate effectively in real-world situations.
🗣️ CLT emphasizes that language learning should occur through communication, not just as a byproduct of it.
🏫 In CLT, the classroom activities are designed to enable students to practice communication in various forms.
📈 CLT activities are tailored to different language proficiency levels, allowing for progressive skill development.
🤝 CLT often involves tasks such as role plays and information sharing to encourage the use of communicative resources.
🌐 CLT has evolved over time, giving rise to various forms like task-based teaching, text-based teaching, and content-based teaching.
📚 CLT is not just a method but a set of principles that guide how communication can be central to language teaching and learning.
🔑 The key to CLT is providing opportunities for students to practice communication, which is believed to lead to the acquisition of communicative competence.

Q & A

What is communicative language teaching?
-Communicative language teaching is an approach to language teaching that focuses on communication as the primary goal of language learning, emphasizing the development of communicative competence through classroom activities that encourage students to practice communication.
How did communicative language teaching develop?
-It developed as a reaction away from grammar-focused teaching methods that prioritized accuracy and the sentence as the unit of presentation and practice.
What is the main goal of communicative language teaching?
-The main goal is to develop communicative competence in students, which is achieved through activities that make communication the focus of the classroom.
How does communicative language teaching view language learning?
-It argues that language is learned through communication, and that language is a byproduct of using it to communicate.
What types of activities are used in communicative language teaching?
-Activities include tasks, role plays, information sharing, and others that require students to use their communicative resources to make communication possible.
How does communicative language teaching differ from traditional grammar-focused teaching?
-It differs by focusing on communication rather than just accuracy, and by using classroom activities that are based on real-life communication scenarios rather than isolated grammar exercises.
What is the role of the teacher in communicative language teaching?
-The teacher's role is to facilitate communication by developing activities that allow students to practice and improve their communicative skills.
How does communicative language teaching adapt to different proficiency levels?
-It adapts by developing activities that enable students to practice communicating in different ways according to their language proficiency level.
What are some forms that communicative language teaching has taken in recent years?
-It has led to task-based teaching, text-based teaching, and content-based teaching, among others.
Why is communicative language teaching still considered important today?
-It is considered important because it aligns with the principle that language learning should be centered around real-world communication skills.
What are some examples of communicative language teaching in practice?
-Examples include group discussions, debates, simulations, and projects that require students to use language to achieve a communicative goal.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Communicative Language Teaching Explained

The speaker discusses communicative language teaching (CLT), an educational approach that contrasts with traditional, grammar-focused teaching methods. CLT emphasizes the development of communicative competence as the primary goal of language learning. It advocates for language learning through actual communication, treating language as a byproduct of the communication process. The approach encourages the creation of classroom activities that facilitate different forms of communication, such as role plays and information sharing, tailored to students' proficiency levels. CLT is presented as a set of principles that prioritize classroom communication to enhance students' language acquisition, and it has evolved into various forms like task-based and content-based teaching.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is an approach to language education that emphasizes the use of language for communication. It is a reaction against traditional grammar-focused methods that prioritized accuracy. In the video, CLT is described as focusing on developing communicative competence, which is the ability to use language effectively in real-world situations. The script mentions that CLT involves activities like role plays and information sharing to practice communication.

💡Communicative Competence

Communicative competence refers to the speaker's ability to use language effectively and appropriately in different contexts. It is the goal of language learning according to CLT. The video script explains that communicative competence is developed through making communication the focus of classroom activities, rather than just learning grammar rules.

💡Grammar-focused Approaches

Grammar-focused approaches are traditional language teaching methods that concentrate on the formal aspects of language, such as syntax and morphology. The script contrasts these with CLT, noting that they gave priority to accuracy and often used the sentence as the unit of presentation and practice.

💡Language Proficiency Level

Language proficiency level refers to the degree of competence a learner has in a language. The video script mentions that CLT involves activities that are developed according to students' language proficiency levels, allowing them to practice communication in ways that are suitable for their current abilities.

💡Task-based Teaching

Task-based teaching is a method derived from CLT that uses tasks as the basis for learning activities. The script indicates that CLT has evolved into different forms, one of which is task-based teaching, where students complete tasks that require them to use language to achieve a specific outcome.

💡Text-Based Teaching

Text-based teaching is another form that CLT has taken, where the focus is on using texts as a basis for language learning. The script suggests that this approach involves analyzing and discussing texts to develop language skills.

💡Content-Based Teaching

Content-based teaching integrates language learning with the teaching of other subjects. The video script hints at this approach, suggesting that CLT principles can be applied in contexts where language is used to learn content, not just as an end in itself.

💡Role Plays

Role plays are interactive activities where students assume different roles to simulate real-life situations. The script uses role plays as an example of how CLT encourages students to practice communication by acting out scenarios that require language use.

💡Information Sharing Activities

Information sharing activities involve students exchanging information with each other. The video script mentions these as a way to practice communication in CLT, where students must convey and receive information, thus using language communicatively.

💡Classroom Materials

Classroom materials refer to the resources used in teaching, such as textbooks, worksheets, and multimedia. The script highlights that in CLT, these materials should provide opportunities for students to practice communicating, aligning with the communicative focus of the approach.

💡Acquisition

Acquisition in language learning refers to the subconscious process of internalizing language knowledge. The video script connects acquisition with CLT, suggesting that by providing opportunities to communicate, students naturally acquire communicative competence.

Highlights

Communicative language teaching is an approach to language teaching that emphasizes communication.

It developed as a reaction to grammar-focused teaching methods.

The goal of language learning is communicative competence.

Language learning should prioritize communication over accuracy.

Language is a byproduct of using it to communicate.

Classroom activities should enable students to practice communicating.

Activities should vary according to students' language proficiency levels.

Role plays, information sharing, and similar activities are encouraged.

Students should use their communicative resources to make communication possible.

Communicative language teaching is a set of principles focusing on classroom communication.

It has evolved into different forms like task-based, text-based, and content-based teaching.

The approach is still relevant and important in contemporary language teaching.

Communicative language teaching emphasizes the use of language to achieve objectives.

It is not just about learning grammar but using it effectively in communication.

The approach has been influential in shaping modern language teaching methodologies.

It argues for a shift from form-focused to function-focused language teaching.

Students are encouraged to use language creatively to solve communication problems.

The approach has led to the development of various classroom activities that promote interaction.

It has been adapted to suit different contexts and educational needs.

The principles of communicative language teaching are considered fundamental in language education.