Theoretical background of Communicative approach

Communicative approach appeared in early 1970s and grew out of the work of anthropological linguists (D. Hymes, M. Halliday), who viewed language first and foremost as a system for communication. It focuses on language as a medium of communication and recognizes that all communication has a social purpose - learner has something to say or find out. Communication embraces a whole spectrum of communicative functions (requests, denials, offers, complaints) and notional categories (concepts such as time, sequence, quantity, location, frequency). Some fruitful ideas contributed to CLT practice - learning by doing or the experience approach, studying language in a broader sociocultural context, learner-centered and experience-based view of foreign language teaching. There is a distinction between a strong and a weak version of CLT. The weak version is described as learning to use language for communicative purposes. The strong version is described as using language to learn it. It advances the claim that language is acquired through communication.

At the level of language theory, Communicative Language Teaching has a rich theoretical base. Some of the characteristics of this communicative view are as follows:

•Language is a system of the expression of meaning.

•The primary function of language is for interaction and communication.

•The structure of language reflects its functional and communicative uses.

•The primary units of language are not merely its grammatical and structural features, but categories of functional and communicative meaning as exemplified in discourse.

Language is for communication, it is interpersonal activity for developing creative thinking and personal interaction. The focus shifts from grammar and sentence formation to the use of language in context, both in linguistic context and its social, or situational context.

As to the theory of language learning, CLT is based on:

•cognitive code theory: learning is not simply the learning of habits but an active mental process, learner is responsible for using and learning a language;

•second language acquisition theory: emphasis on comprehensible input (language is acquired by understanding messages), language learning comes through using language communicatively (learning by doing);

•CLT advocates a holistic approach to language learning. True human learning is both cognitive and effective. This is termed whole person learning.

One of the main challenges of the Communicative approach is to integrate the functions of a language (information retrieval, problem solving, and social exchanges) with the correct use of structures. The question is how to combine communicative fluency with formal accuracy.

The main goal of CLT is to acquire and increase communicative competence, which means being able to understand and interpret messages, understand the social contexts where language is used, apply grammar rules, and employ strategies to keep communication from breaking down. According to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages competences are the sum of knowledge, skills and characteristics that allow a person to perform actions and communicative language competences are those which empower a person to act using specifically linguistic means.

The approach focuses on skill integration idea and aims to develop procedures for the teaching of the four language skills that acknowledge the interdependence of language and communication. Skills are integrated from the beginning; a given activity might involve reading, speaking, listening, and also writing (this assumes the learners are educated and literate),

The range of exercise types and activities compatible with a Communicative approach is unlimited. Learners are encouraged to be involved in such communicative processes as information sharing, negotiation of meaning, and interaction. W. Littlewood distinguished between functional communicative activities and social interaction activities as major activity types in CLT. Functional communicative activities include such tasks as:

•Learners comparing sets of pictures and noting similarities and differences;

•Working out a likely sequence of events in a set of pictures;

•Discovering missing features in a map or picture;

•Following directions;

•Solving problems with shared clues.

Social interaction activities include:

•Conversation and discussion sessions;

•Information-gap/opinion-gap activities;

•Dialogues and role plays;

•Drama and simulations;

•Improvisations and debates.

Typical form of interaction in the language classroom is pair and group work. It helps students to transfer (and, if necessary, negotiate) meaning in situations where one person has information that the other(s) lack. Such kind of classroom organization gives students more valuable talking time, encourages rapport between students, enables students to invest much more of themselves in the lesson, gives an opportunity for shy or unconfident students to participate, adds variety to the lesson.

Teacher role in any classroom setting can hardly be exaggerated. In teacher- controlled classes teacher is dominant, he/she is the main authority and expert and mainly teacher performs the role of controller. But in CLT classes the teacher is the initiator of communication, who provides opportunities for interaction by selecting content and classroom activities based on learners’ needs and interests. Therefore teacher plays a variety of roles. First of all he/she is a facilitator who facilitates the communication process, and very often - an independent participant within the learning-teaching group. Some other roles may be as an organizer of recourses and recourse him/herself, a guide within the classroom procedures and activities, a group process manager, needs analyst, etc.

Students’ security is initially enhanced by using their native language. Attitude to use L1 is relevant to students’ needs. Its use is occasional and cost-effective when necessary.

Attitude to errors in communicative classroom is tolerant; learners are encouraged to take risks. Errors and mistakes are treated in a non-threatening way and viewed as inevitable, natural steps in language learning. The more language practice, the fewer mistakes are made, practice makes perfect.

Materials used in CLT have the primary role of promoting communicative language use. Practitioners of communicative teaching view materials as a way of influencing the quality of classroom interaction and language use. Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers speak about three kinds of materials currently used in communicative teaching and label them as text-based, task-based and realia. Under the first label numerous textbooks designed to direct and support CLT are meant. Task-based materials contain tasks and activities for classroom interaction as different games, role plays, conversational situations, etc. Many proponents of CLT have advocated the use of authentic, ‘from life’ materials in the classroom. For example, newspapers, magazines, signs, notes, e-mails, advertisements, etc. designed not for educational purposes. A variety of communicative activities can be built around such language-based realia.

The approach possesses more advantages than disadvantages in language teaching. Creative atmosphere of mutual cooperation, variety of classroom interaction, focus on learners’ needs, facilitative presentation of language items in meaningful context motivate learners and stimulate their language use. CLT appeals to those who seek a more humanistic approach to teaching, one in which the interactive process of communication receives priority.

Дата добавления: 2017-01-13