I felt something was wrong in my lessons. Deep inside I was ashamed of my methods of teaching English. But I was scared to death of the reactions of my students, their parents and my colleagues if I decided to try out the CLT principles. That was in the 1980s. I’m glad I did it anyway.

Communicative language teaching (CLT) is not a unified method but rather a collection principles and beliefs on how foreign languages should be taught.

What else is meant by CLT, communicative language teaching?

Communicative language teaching (CLT) methology actually consists of a set of principles and beliefs on

• how foreign languages should be taught and are learnt
• how languages are used in real life and
• which skills/what kind of knowledge the learners of a foreign language should be aiming at

The other articles in this unit are:

Communicative language teaching – CLT	Cognitive approach to learning
	Constructive approach to learning
	CLT – 10 skill areas
	Methods, learning styles, strategies and profiles
	Four types of learners
	Differentiation, introduction
	Differentiation, how to apply
	Using the mother tongue in teaching English
	Behaviouristic approach to learning
	N.B. CLT ideas are discussed in nearly all articles

The articles above clarify the history of CLT, the ideas that CLT was based on. The behaviouristic approach is included out of interest and it is contrasted with the CLT philosophy.

See the summary of the differences between the traditional and CLT methods below.

The CLT ideas have been developed since mid-1970s and it is still the most widely approved approach to language teaching even if new ideas are still added to it. However, it seems to me that in many countries teachers are not successfully applying CLT principles and that is the very reason I am writing these articles.

Linguists and teachers in favour of CLT emphasize the students’ ability to communicate orally in versatile and appropriate ways in many situations in contrast to mastering partially only language-related skills such as reading and writing.

In CLT there is a tendency away from teacher-oriented grammar-based lessons with a lot of controlled exercises towards learner-oriented situations where the students can be more creative in their language use working mainly orally in pairs or groups without being afraid of making mistakes.

How does CLT differ from traditional methods?

In CLT lessons students work mostly orally in pairs and groups learning all language skills without any fear of making mistakes. The teacher organizes the lessons and remains in the background.

Something must be wrong when the language skills of so many students remain so modest! Are the teachers truly applying CLT ideas?

My own priorities at the early stage of my CLT application

• 1. Learning to apply CLT principles takes quite a while and both the teacher and the students have to be patient. With beginners and mixed-ability classes the best approach is to have learner-oriented lessons based on textbook chapters first and then gradually introduce new techniques. See my detailed introduction to textbook-based approach.
• 2. In a mini-scale CLT principles can be applied from the very beginning but demanding CLT activities require a few years of learning the language.
• 3. WORDS are vital in sending messages. More important than grammar. It is possible to communicate without grammar but hardly without words. Still, CLT is about teaching all language skills.
• 4. The priority order of language skills should be based on what is needed in real life. Oral skills can be combined with all other skills!
• 5. Speaking is a vital skill in real life. So we should practise real-life situations in role-plays and express our opinions and ideas even if our language may not be accurate. Never mind the mistakes!
• 6. Speaking is by far the quickest way in practising writing thanks to transfer effects.
• 7. There is a logical order in developing the skills when a new language is taught and learned by beginners.
• 8. The importance of the language skills change when the students start to master the language so we have to tailor our courses according to the needs of the students.
• 9. Grammar is only a tool and should be linked to speaking exercises and games, not only have traditional written tasks.
• 10. The pupils and students can take responsibility from the very beginning by working hard in pairs and groups We teachers tend to do too much of the work for them.
• 11 . ALL THE LANGUAGE SKILLS SHOULD BE INTERWOVEN IN THE LESSONS, the proportion in each lesson is to be decided by the teacher. Of course occasionally we focus on one particular skill area (grammar, listening or cultural knowledge, for instance).

Is there a way to combine the traditional methods with CLT methods?

Yes, definitely there is. It is just what I did during the transition period. I kept all the good things but simply made them student-oriented.

The best way for school authorities to change the methods teachers use

• is to make publishers write textbooks where the CLT principles are already applied and the teacher guide books and additional materials are easily available
• is to change the structure of the final exams so that the exam tasks and scope follow the CLT principles

Don’t throw the student away with the bath water. In other words, make sure the change is for the better for the students.

So when we started to apply the communicative approach in the 1980s in Finland we got superb materials which made the transition smooth and in-service training effective.

I myself never gave up some of the old methods that I had found useful with low-achievers and in some mixed-ability classes. In practice one of my biggest discoveries was to let the students do all the things I myself used to do. As a result nearly all my previous activities were run by students. For example …

• The students checked the homework exercises in groups.
• Checking the understanding of a new text was done in groups, not by me. In weakest groups it meant translating parts of the text into the mother tongue.
• The weakest student was using the gadget (tape recorder) when the class read the text aloud after the tape or CD.
• My ready-made questions about the textbook chapter were answered in pairs without raising hands.
• Workbook exercises were checked in pairs or groups. etc

The lessons turned much more enjoyable for everyone and I was free to help anyone who needed assistance. In CLT terms  having analyzed the needs of the students and set goals for the lesson at home, I became the organizer of the class and facilitator of learning at school.

I am quite sure nearly all teachers agree on the benefits of communicative language teaching but the problem has been how to apply the principles. Another reason is fear of creating chaos in class. However, do not let these reasons stop you trying. Study my step-by-step articles under the heading ‘The structure of a text-cased lesson’, tell your students what you are going to do and why. And hit the road! Personally I have never had any regrets!

So there is a way how to combine the ’safe’ teacher-oriented method with student-oriented approach with CLT principles. In these articles I try to justify my applications of CLT practices in plain terms without the theoretical linguistic jargon where the message is lost.

Old habits die hard … but changing over to CLT methods is something your students will thank you for.