By Ingrida Užkurytė

o Show the background of the approach

o Define the approach

o Give examples

o Make the concusion

o The origins of the communicative approach are found in

the changes in the British language teaching tradition in

the late 1960s.

o Situational approach was the major approach at that

time.

o The need to focus language teaching on the

communicative proficiency became important.

o In the min-1970s the scope of the communicative

approach expanded.

o The communicative approach changed the situational

approach.

o “A method of teaching a foreign language which stresses

the importance of learning to communicate information

and ideas in the language.”

(http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com)

o In other words, it is a kind of foreign language teaching,

which is based on the communication using the target

language.

o According to Larsen-Freeman (2000), the most important

characteristic of the communicative language teaching is

that: “almost everything that is done is done with the

communicative intent.”(2000:132).

o The same author states that the best way to learn

foreign language by using a communicative approach is to

carry out activities in small groups of students. For

instance, the teacher gives for students a topic and then

they are divided into small groups to communicate with

each other about the given topic. Through this kind of

activities students are engaged in meaningful and

authentic language use rather than in the simply

mechanical practice of language patterns.

oAccording to Richards (2006) completing tasks in this waystudents gain several benefits:

• They can learn from hearing the language used by othermembers of the group.

• They will produce a greater amount of language thanthey would use in teacher-fronted activities.

• Their motivational level is likely to increase.

• They will have the chance to develop fluency.”(2006:20)

o An example of the lesson where the communicativeapproach is used for learning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kRT-rsKxn4 (7:48 –10:30)

o According to Savignon (1972) the communicative competence

is: “the ability to function in a truly communicative setting –

that is, in a dynamic exchange in which linguistic competence

must adapt itself to the total informational input, both

linguistic and paralinguistic, of one or more interlocutors.”

(1972:8)

o Also, Savignon (1972) describes the communicative

competence as: “the ability to engage in the interpretation,

expression, and negotiation of meaning.”(1972:8)

o The communicative competence consists of four components

Every approach has advantages and disadvantages.

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Language is acquired

through communication.

Student may not see the

value in learning English

through group work,

games, and activities.

CA allows learners to use

the target language in

meaningful context.

CA does not focus on error

correction.

CA can be adapted to any

level.

Students don’t feel

challenged.

CA focuses on fluently not

accuracy. Thus student may

produce incoherent and

grammatically incorrect

sentence.

oYoutube.com. (2013) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kRT-rsKxn4

oLarsen-Freeman, Diane. 2000. Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching.

New York: Oxford University Press.

oNunan, David. 1991. Language Teaching Methodology: A Textbook for Teachers.

Prentice Hall.

oOxfordlearnersdictionary.com. (2013)

http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/

oRichards, Jack Clifton. 2006. Communicative language teaching today. New York:

Cambridge University Press.

oRichards, Jack Clifton, and Rodgers, Theodore S. 1986. Approaches and methods

in language teaching: A description and analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press.

oSavignon, Sandra J. 1972. Communicative Competence: An Experiment in Foreign-

Language Teaching. Philadelphia: The Centre for Curriculum Development

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR

ATTENTION!

ROLE PLAY

Four friends cannot decide what to do on Saturday night.

Liza wants to be at home.

Ann wants to go to the concert.

Eve wants to go to the cinema.

Jenna wants to go to the club.

Discuss in small groups, which is the best choice.