Ekaterina V.

Eremina
Siberian Federal University
 The Classical Period
◦ The Grammar Translation Method
 The Reform Period
◦ The Direct Method
 The Scientific Period
◦ The Audio-Lingual Approach
◦ The Situational and Structural Approaches
 The Humanistic Period
◦ Suggestopedia
◦ The Silent Way
◦ TPR
 The Communicative Period
◦ The Communicative Approach
 The Post-Communicative Period
◦ The Principled Eclecticis
◦ Modern Integrated Language Teaching
A new understanding of what human
communication is
Relationship between form and communicative
function
Language as discourse
A new understanding of what it means to “know a
language”
A new understanding of how languages are
acquired and learnt
A new understanding of the roles of teachers and
learners
A new understanding of the roles of teaching
materials and learning environment
Definition

The Communicative Approach is an approach to

language teaching in which the main aim is learner
‘communicative competence’
Hymes, 1972, Widdowson,
1978

This is contrasted to previous methodologies such

as grammar-translation, audio-lingualism or
cognitive code-learning, where the emphasis was on
the ability to produce well-formed sentences.
Would you consider learner to be a competent user
of English if he/she is able to deliver the following
sentences?
How can I get to the library?
Where is the pencil?
Is there a pencil on the table?
This is a cat and that is a dog.
Am I reading you right?
It’s not in my book.
Your ten-thirty’s just cancelled.
Is this a man or a woman?
It’s raining cats and dogs.
Communicative competences (Dell Hymes, 1972):
Linguistic - knowledge of vocabulary items and mastery
of certain rules through which they are processed into
meaningful utterances
Sociolinguistic – ability to use and interpret language
forms with situational appropriacy (the context
determines the choice of language forms)
Discourse – ability to perceive and to achieve coherence
of separate utterances in meaningful communication
patterns
Strategic – ability to use verbal and non-verbal strategies
to compensate for gaps in the user’s knowledge of the
code
Socio-cultural – certain degree of familiarity with the
socio- cultural context in which the language is used
Social – the desire and self-confidence to interact with
others as well as empathy and the ability to handle
social situations
Language Functions
(Michael Halliday, Council of
Europe Reference Framework)

Apologising
Agreeing/ disagreeing
Refusing / accepting
Coping with language problems
Asking about
Stating about
Likes/ dislikes
Inviting
Offering
Suggesting
Needs/ requests/ wishes
Intensions
Discourse and situation analysis, pragmatics
Wilkins, Widdowson, Brumfit, Johnson,
Littlewood, Fairclough, Woddack, Leech
Eg:
-Hey,coming to the wild party tonight?
-My parents are visiting..
(‘yes’, or ‘no’?)
The CEFR: transparent, coherent and comprehensive
The result of over twenty years of research, the Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching,
assessment (CEFR) is exactly what its title says it is: a framework of
reference. It was designed to provide a transparent, coherent and
comprehensive basis for the elaboration of language syllabuses and
curriculum guidelines, the design of teaching and learning materials,
and the assessment of foreign language proficiency. It is used in Europe
but also in other continents and is now available in 39 languages.
Six levels of foreign language proficiency
The CEFR describes foreign language proficiency at six levels: A1 and
A2, B1 and B2, C1 and C2. It also defines three ‘plus’ levels (A2+, B1+,
B2+). Based on empirical research and widespread consultation, this
scheme makes it possible to compare tests and examinations across
languages and national boundaries. It also provides a basis for
recognising language qualifications and thus facilitating educational and
occupational mobility.
The CEFR’s illustrative scales of “can do” descriptors are available in
a CEFR bank of descriptors together with many other related descriptors.
Behavioural
Cognitive
Practical
Task-based interaction
(Stephen Krashen – language acquisition, Noam
Chomsky – theory of language learning, Vigotsky –
local development theory, cooperative learning)
Support of cooperation and autonomy
Partnership behaviour
Giving feedback and confidence
-A manager of classroom activities
-A facilitator of learning
-A co-participant
-A negotiator
-A motivator/ stimulator
-An adviser/ an expert
-A good listener
Communicator
Cultural awareness
Message conveyer
Confident
Active participant of learning
Active learner/ selfawared
Strategic learner
Relevant to the age
Relevant to the interests/ needs/ levels
Purposeful
Challenging tasks
Recognising students’ types/ learning
styles
Authentic
Contemporary
Relevant to the reality
Teacher-developed materials (process/
procedural syllabus)
Cooperation/ collaboration
Discovery
Noise/ buzz
More relaxed behaviour
Senses involved
Involvement
Reflection/ feedback
Experimenting
Space for self-expression
Interaction
 Imagine you are travelling during your holidays
and you took some photos.
 Choose one photo to present to your friend.
When presenting the picture, remember to
mention:
• When you took this photo
• What/who in the photo
• What is happening
• Why you took the photo
• Why you decided to show the picture to your
friend
 Study two photos
 In a minute be ready
• To give a brief description of the photos(
action, location)
• Say in what way the pictures are different
• Say what of the pastimes presented in the
pictures you prefer
• Explain your choice
 What language?
 

If only.....
I should have....
I wish.......
If I had.....
Had I.........
Supposing I
It might have
been a good idea
to.....
1. Researchers research, writers write. Do they talk to each
other at all?
2. The CA was created by the EL native speakers on how to
teach their native language. EL today is lingua franka.
3. EL teacher is viewed as native or near native.
4. Devalue of printed materials.
5. Textbooks: discrepancy between the aims stated and content
and quality of materials (all grammar-structured in their heart
and bones).
6. Learners needs are NOT really in focus!
7. Cross-cultural and socio-cultural issues are not really in
focus.
8. Native language is not seen as a powerful learning resource.
9. Non-native teacher, though in majority, is not in the focus of
the approach.
 ‘The guidance we need are not the
commandments handed to us by proponents of a
‘correct’ methodology, but rather principles or
goals of effective language teaching’
 To get my students to learn English both fluently
and accurately, as well and fast as they can;
 To cater as far as I can to the different needs and
styles of different members of the class;
 To maintain orderly, disciplined classroom
process;
 To get my students enjoy their learning and feel
pleased about themselves as learners;
 To help my students to learn how to learn, so
that they can carry on progressing after they
leave my classroom;
 To maintain relationships of caring and mutual
respect between members of the class (including
teacher);
 To contribute as far as I can to the general
educational progress of my students as people.
 “I would suggest that we need to learn not one
methodological approach, but all the methods
we can, from whatever sources: examining each
in the light of our own pedagogical principles
and teaching context in order to choose that
combination that seems most appropriate and
will bring about the best learning results for our
students.”

Penny Ur, 2002

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsHM6db99jQ
Natural Approach: acquisition/ induction/
generation (Krashen)
Lexical: Co-built collocations/ pragmatics /
Corpus linguistics (Grice, Leech. Lewis, Willis,
McEnry)
Post-Communicative: appropriateness/
relevance/ responding to learner’s needs, ICT
Blended learning: creating learning environment
through VR/ ICT, going beyond the classroom
English for Young Learners (EYL)

Content and Language Integrated

Learning (CLIL)

English as a Lingua Franca (ELF)

Age From to
6 A1 (IELTS 2.0)
8 A2 (IELTS 3.0)
10 B1 (IELTS 4.0)
12 A1 (IELTS 2.0) B2 (IELTS 5.5)
14 A2 (IELTS 3.0) C1 (IELTS 6.5)
16 B1 (IELTS 4.0) C2 (IELTS 7.0)
 Increase in English-medium
30

25 university courses

School-leavers need higher

20
Tertiary
English proficiency
Age

Secondary
15
Primary
Pre-school
10
Englishincreasingly used to
5 teach across curriculum at
secondary school
0

English introduced earlier

and earlier at Primary school
 Various combinations of f2f and online
components supported with assessment and
monitoring systems (LMS) – blended learning,
flipped classrooms
 Extended mobile language education
 Flexibility and individual learning tracks
 In-line with international language and
methodology levels of achievement
(international language exams + teachers’
qualifications – TKT, DELTA, CELTA)
Digital Traditional
THANK YOU!