LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 11 : 4 April 2011
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.

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Communicative Language Teaching: A Modified Version

Furrakh Abbas, Sahar Aslam and Rabia Yasmeen

Abstract

The study aims at providing solutions for implementing Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in accordance with local culture. CLT is the first comprehensive method of language learning and it has achieved enormous importance as it addresses all important issues regarding language learning. It has also been criticized by many researchers for paying insufficient attention to the context in which teaching and learning take place. It is considered unsuccessful in a sense that it conflicts with social, cultural and physical conditions of the recipient countries.

Despite all the drawbacks in CLT, its importance can not be denied. With expansion of globalization and increased demand of English, adopting communicative language teaching is inevitable. Its prominence is well observed not only in East Asia but also in South Asia.

The need of the hour is to particularize its theoretical notions and the most important aspect of teaching is peculiarity. This peculiarity can be achieved by introducing local culture in the framework of CLT. As it is the product of sociolinguists who believe in the relation of language with culture and society, so importance of culture cannot be left out of language teaching.

This has necessitated the appropriation of CLT according to cultural specifications. The study contends that there are certain cultural conflicts in CLT that impede its progress and implementation. For evolving culture-oriented version, the researchers conducted interviews of English language teachers.

A sample of thirty English language teachers, belonging to eight Pakistani universities was selected. Semi-structured interview comprising open-ended questions leaving room for the opinion of the respondents was conducted. The data was transcribed and then interpreted to extract the suggestions. The study presents a modified and acculturated version of CLT which is in harmony with the local culture of the learners and thus readily acceptable.

Key terms: communicative language teaching, culture, communicative competence, intercultural communication, specificity

Introduction

Twentieth century was the period when communicative value of the language was openly acknowledged. During this period, the pendulum from one extreme of wholesale use of mother tongue shifted to another of fully avoiding the resources of the mother tongue in L2 learning (Mukalel, 1998). The developments in the field of language teaching marked a shift from writing and teaching of grammar to spoken and speech skills. Audio Lingual Method and Situational Language Teaching were the forerunner of the most influential language teaching methodology of the century i.e. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT).

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Furrakh Abbas
Lecturer
University of Management and Technology, Lahore
Pakistan
furrakh.abbas@umt.edu.pk

Sahar Aslam
Former Lecturer
COMSATS, Lahore and now settled in U.A.E.

Rabia Yasmeen
Lecturer
GC University
Faisalabad
Pakistan

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