Педагогические науки/5.Современные методы преподавания

Alla Sariieva

NTUU KPI

Communicative approach

All approaches established and studied before have emphasized language skills (reading, listening, writing and speaking) or concentrated on one of its skills and given more attention to the grammar structure of linguistic uses in teaching English. Whereas, the communicative approach emphasizes using the language as a whole and enables EFL/ESL learners to communicate in the target language fluently and confidently. It also concentrates on the communicative use of language in everyday and real world situations. In the beginning the use of the term

communicative in language teaching was the meaning of the pedagogy of language teaching (Widdowson, 1990). However, at that time it was unclear whether the term related to the purpose or to the process of learning (Widdowson, 1990). For many applied linguists the communicative approach is the key to many questions. Those who worked to determine a theoretical basis for a communicative approach to language teaching were Candlin, Wilkins, Brumfit and Widdowson (Shaikh, 1993). Their contributions to communicative approach have been accepted by those who are looking for a new method of language teaching as EFL/ESL approach. For instance, Wilkins (1972) suggested a definition of communicative language which may contributes to the development of communicative syllabuses for language teaching. Wilkins' contributions are an analysis of the communicative

meaning that a language learner needs to understand and express, rather than describes the form of language through traditional concepts of grammar and vocabulary. Wilkins, (1972) attempted to demonstrate the system of meaning that lays behind the communicative uses of language. He described two types of meaning: notional categories (concepts such as time, sequence, quantity, location and frequency) and categories of communicative functions (regrets, denial, offers and complaints) (Richards, and Rodgers, 2001; Shaikh, 1993). The communicative approach as a method of teaching sets the learners' needs to express meaning and to practice in real world situations. However, for most opponents they have argued ''that grammar is economical system which underlies all language use, and that lists of notions and functions cannot be expressed through a convenient system, so that we do not know different functions relate to each other'' (Brumfit, 1985). In contrast, the use of communicative approach in language teaching changed according to the learners' needs. In some teaching programs as in English for specific purposes, Task –Based Method, for example, could be the best choice in this context. Different approaches concentrate on one structure or skill of language. Hence, communicative language teaching tends to focus on language teaching on

the basic needs of language in real situations rather than grammatical rules to produce correct sentences (Brumfit, 1985). Since then, many applied linguists have put their arguments for both sides of this approach In language teaching, each method has been given advantages and disadvantages from those applied linguists. Their arguments for or against any approach have attributed to language teaching methods. For instance since early 1970s when communicative language teaching

was introduced to pedagogy for the first time, it has been receiving both for-and against voices from different linguists. That because each approach need to be examine prior to apply it by educators. Obviously, this approach has strong and weak versions. For instance, Littlewood states that this approach focuses on both functional and structural domains of language (Richards & Rodgers, 2001). The

strong and weak version as Knight, (2001) addressed that Howatt, 1984 has suggested that: The weak version, which has become more or less standard practice in the last ten years, stresses the importance of providing learners with opportunities to use their English for communicative purpose and , characteristically, attempts to integrate such activities into a wider program of language teaching. (Howatt, 1984: 297) On the other hand the strong version:

Advances the claim that language is acquired through communication, so that it is not merely a question of activating an existing but inter knowledge of the language, but of stimulating the development of the language system itself. (Howatt, 1984: 297) Then Howatt, 1984 concluded, that if the first might be considered as '' learning to use English'', the latter then described as ''using English to learn it'' (Knight, 2001). These two versions raise many questions for teachers in EFL/ESL countries. For example most non- native teachers applying communicative approach as it has been viewed from its theoretical framework in first Language environment (e.g. Saudi Arabia) might not be applied as communicative teaching. In some countries applying such approaches or methods has been affected teachers by the educational authority system on these countries which based on providing textbooks for teachers to follow certain sets of procedure in classroom (Hedge, 2000). Since communicative approach has been introduced to language teaching, many affective tasks in classroom have been improved which in turn enhanced teaching methods. From its strong version I have adapted my teaching to this approach because learning language through communication is one of its function that most people use. Brumfit, (1985) has referred this as one of the two functions of human languages.