‘Communicative Language Teaching – A rescue to English beginners’ by Reena Mittal

[ELTWeekly Volume 6, Issue 22 | September 15, 2014 | ISSN 0975-3036]

This article is submitted by Reena Mittal. 

CLT was introduced in late 1970s in European countries for making those familiar with English whose first language is not English. It is an approach to language teaching in which both teacher and student participate enthusiastically and learn simultaneously. The main focus of CLT is to develop skills with new academic ideas by which English teaching and learning both become interesting and easier. CLT is the approach of teaching which contain following qualities:-

• learning through interaction
• Introducing text according to learning situation
• Main focus on learning process
• Teacher’s personal experience is the actual book.
• To connect classroom with outside world by giving new activities.

Actually CLT makes practical use of real life situation and create communication. Teachers teach according to practical need of the class room and it makes not only teaching interactive but remove all hesitation, hurdles of speaking and motivate students for communication in all situation. Teachers tell students about situations their queries and tentative answers. Students focus on them and speak flawlessly after passing 2 years or so on in same situation.  CLT is the only rescue to Non-Native English learners and speakers. Although scholars are not very much interested in it yet it gives very potential results. The Elements CLT cover are mentioned below:

• Best way of learning communication, eye to eye contact and one to one communication.
• Practice makes a man perfect so accuracy and fluency comes naturally at its best.
• Learning is a lifetime continuous process a message delivered by CLT.
• Motivation always gives best results. So, A teacher should always motivate students howsoever dull and unenthusiastic they sound.

So we can conclude that CLT is really a productive way to make Non-Native English speakers fluent and accurate. Actually adaptation of L₂ other than Mother Tongue is always challenging as it needs continuous changes in learning process. Advent of CLT has given new dimensions and hopes to the teachers and learners both. They can improve a lot and language is a continuous learning process.