The communicative approach is not a “method” of second language teaching.
There are a lot of bilingual people teaching English as a second or foreign language. Amazingly, many of these people commonly express they use the communicative approach as a “method” of instruction.
Unlike a method of EFL/ESL instruction, which is an orderly arrangement of steps to accomplish an objective, the communicative approach represents an assumption on the nature of language learning and teaching enlightened by theories that maintain the following principles:
- The primary function of language is the expression of meaning.
- The goal of language teaching is to develop communicative competence.
- Activities that involve real communication promote learning.
- Communication involves the integration of different language skills, e.g., listening, speaking, reading and writing.
- The role of the teacher is to facilitate communication by providing opportunities to use the target language authentically and meaningfully.
- The role of the learner is to be an active negotiator of meaning; class activities should be student-centered.
While a method is procedural, the communicative approach is theoretical. That is, the communicative approach conceptualizes certain perspectives on second language teaching that translate into communicative course designs and lesson plans.
Since the communicative approach is not a method, it does not provide teachers with a unified plan to second language instruction. Instead, it functions as a theoretical framework that sheds light on course design or syllabus. Typical second language teaching syllabi, derived from the communicative approach, are the Notional-Functional and Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT).
In general, taking into consideration that the communicative approach does not provide practitioners with a recipe or method of instruction, when planning a second language class or course, it is important to conform to the communicative approach principles, which are mostly attuned with the conditions that create successful L2 learning, in every element of the design, e.g., when writing the objectives, framing the activities, designing teacher-student roles, selecting texts and materials, and so on. In the end, every teaching plan, based on the communicative approach, will surely come out as different design. However, a sine qua non condition of this type of design is the communicative nature of every aspect of the curriculum.
Witten by Jose Vallejo
Great content! Keep up the good work!
Thank you!