Principles of Communicative Language Teaching

Learning Outcomes

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Use information technology appropriately when presenting your work and in your teaching
• Communicate language teaching, applied linguistic and educational work in a variety of written forms
• Express, support (using researched literature) and position your views through a written assignment
• Identify and use a wide range of reference resources, printed and electronic
• Develop and maintain a personal bibliography

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• The principles of the communicative approach to language teaching, and the main theories of language learning and competence that underpin it
• The implications that culture, context and goals have for CLT in planning and classroom practice
• The influence of the communicative approach to language teaching on task design, lesson planning and classroom interactions
• How language teaching pedagogy can effectively respond to different learners and goals, and how to evaluate pedagogical choices with a theoretical rationale

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• How to write a detailed lesson plan and supporting justification for your pedagogical choices, using appropriate literature to explain your decisions
• How to present effective communicative activities with a theoretical rationale
• How to identify pedagogical orientations and likely outcomes of teaching methods, and assess the learning processes involved
• How to evaluate pedagogical proposals, methods and practices in terms of their appropriateness and effectiveness in different contexts

The module is intended to provide a theoretical framework for CLT together with examples and practice in how these principles may be applied to language teaching in the classroom. We first examine the broader context of approaches to language teaching, tracing the origins and development of the communicative approach. We then focus on the learner, the classroom environment and practical applications, as well as potential limitations, of a communicative approach to language teaching.

This module facilitates your understanding of:

• How the principles of communicative approaches impact on language pedagogy and curriculum design;
• The rationale and history behind the rise of CLT in the TESOL field;
• How to evaluate teaching materials in terms of pedagogic principles and underlying theoretical rationales;
• How teachers frame and perform different areas of instruction, such as grammar, writing, reading, speaking and listening, in CLT and non-CLT language education;
• How to critique language teaching practices and planning and with critical and contextual awareness;
• How to plan and design activities for specific communicative teaching contexts;
• The implications of CLT for classroom roles, interactions and activities;
• How culture and contextual factors influence appropriate and effective classroom practice;
• How to use researched publications and teaching resources to inform and enhance your discussion of CLT practice;
• How to work productively with peers to develop awareness of appropriate classroom practices and develop your pedagogical skills.

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include:

• Seminars
• Interactive group discussions and tasks

Learning activities include:

• Individual study
• Preparing discussions and teaching activities in small groups
• Developing and discussing practical materials

Innovative or special features of this module:

• Regular practical tasks that feed into face-to-face sessions
• Practical evaluation of materials, methods and practices for communicative language teaching
• Online discussions and activities consolidate and expand on work in seminars

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Richards, J. and T. Rodgers (2001). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.

Scrivener, J. (2011). Learning Teaching: The essential guide to English language teaching. Oxford: Macmillan.

Carter, R. & D. Nunan (eds.) (2001). The Cambridge guide to teaching English to speakers of other languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English Language Teaching. Longman ELT.

Lightbown P. & N. Spada (2006). How Languages Are Learned. Oxford University Press.

Brumfit, C.J. (2001). Individual Freedom in Language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Thornbury, S. (2006). Grammar (Resource Books for Teachers). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Richards, J. and T. Rodgers (2014). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (updated and revised ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External