Communicative Language

Teaching (CLT)
Anguicinha Edmundo Victor, Blessing Patrício Estevene & Pensa Pedro Furede
 CLT: Definition
Harmer (2007) argues that Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is not a specific,
easily defined concept, but rather a broad and overarching term that encompasses learning
approaches designed to enhance students’ communication skills. Therefore, CLT prioritizes
communicative competence, a notion introduced by Hymes, who argued that the study of
human language should be situated within a social context. The term “communicative
competence” refers to the knowledge a speaker requires to effectively communicate within a
speech community (Hymes, 1972). For instance, in practical situations, it's not enough for a
speaker to simply construct grammatically correct sentences; they must also take into
account the specific situation or context in which the sentences are employed. Thus, the
main goal of CLT is to enable learners to use the target language in real-life situations.
 Principles of CLT
Richards (2006) outlines the fundamental principles of communicative language teaching methodology
as follows:
 Prioritize real communication as the central focus of language learning.
 Offer opportunities for learners to experiment and apply their knowledge in practical contexts.
 Embrace learners' errors as indications of their progress in developing communicative competence.
 Provide chances for learners to cultivate both accuracy and fluency in language use.
 Integrate the different skills of speaking, reading, and listening, reflecting their real-world
interconnectedness.
 Encourage students to induce or discover grammar rules through contextualized language use.
In implementing these principles in the classroom, there arose a need for new classroom techniques and
activities, as well as new roles for both teachers and learners. There was a shift towards activities that
required learners to negotiate meaning and engage in meaningful interactions.
 Techniques
In Communicative Language Teaching, the primary focus is on promoting communication and language
proficiency, as emphasized by Harmer (2007) and Richards (2006). According to Richards (2006), CLT
employs a variety of techniques aimed at nurturing communicative competence and facilitating meaningful
language use. Some essential techniques include:
1. Pair and group work, involving activities like role-plays, information gaps, and discussions.
2. Task-based learning, encompassing problem-solving activities, decision-making scenarios, or information
exchange exercises.
3. Incorporation of authentic materials such as genuine texts, audiovisual resources, and real-life objects to
enhance language learning in real-world contexts.
4. Role-play activities that encourage students to act out scenarios to practice language use in context.
5. Information gap activities that require learners to share information to complete a task, promoting
interactive communication and language use.
 English language Activity Sample for CLT
Methodology

Activity: “Daily Routines Interview”

Technique: Task-based Learning
 Pre-Activity
Introduction (10 minutes)
 The teacher begins by introducing the topic of daily routines and the Present
Simple tense through a brief discussion. Students are asked questions like ‘What
do you do every morning?’ or ‘What does your typical day look like?’ to get them
thinking about daily activities and the language used to describe them.
Vocabulary Building (10 minutes)
 The teacher provides students with a list of common daily routine activities such
as ‘wake up, brush teeth, eat breakfast, go to school,’ etc. Students practice
pronunciation and repeat these phrases to ensure understanding.
 While-Activity
Pair Work - Interview (20 minutes)
 The teacher divides the class into pairs. Each pair will take
turns interviewing each other about their daily routines using
the Present Simple tense. Encourages students to ask
questions like ‘What time do you wake up?’ or ‘When do you
have lunch?’
This stage focuses on meaningful communication using the target language.
 Post-Activity

Follow-up: Group Discussion (15 minutes)

 The teacher brings the class back together for a group
discussion. Asks a few pairs to share interesting things they
learned about their partner's daily routine with the rest of the
class.
This allows for further practice and reinforcement of the Present Simple. tense in a communicative context
 Activity Auto-reflection
This activity aims to engage students in meaningful
communication while practicing the Present Simple
tense in a realistic and relevant context. It
encourages interaction, information exchange, and
language use, which are key principles of CLT
 References
 Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English Language Teaching. Essex – England:
Pearson Education Limited.
 Richards, J. C. (2006). Communicative Language Teaching Today. New York:
Cambridge University Press.
 Savignon, S. J. (2002). Communicative Language Teaching: Linguistic. New
England: Yale University.
THANK YOU!