THE IMPLEMENTATION OF

COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING (CLT) METHOD

FOR TEACHING SPEAKING SKILL FOR SECOND YEAR OF
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
 CHAPTER II
REVIEW ON THE RELATED LITERARY

A. COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING (CLT)

In Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, there are a lot of methods in
teaching language. One of them is Communicative Language Teaching (CTL). One of the
method that usually use in school is Communicative Language Teaching (CTL).
Communicative Language Teaching (CTL) began in Britain in the 1960s as a replacement to
the earlier structural method, called Situational Language Teaching.
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is an approach to the teaching of second
and foreign languages that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of
learning a language. It is also referred to as “communicative approach to the teaching of
foreign languages” or simply the “Communicative Approach”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communicative_language_teaching

The communicative approach in language teaching starts from a theory of language as

communication. The goal of language teaching starts from a theory of language as
communication. The goal of language teaching is to develop what Hymnes (1972) referred to
as “communicative competence”.
CLT is usually characterized as a broad approach to teaching, rather than as a
teaching method with a clearly defined set of classroom practices. As such, it is most often
defined as a list of general principles or features. The five features of CLT are 1) an emphasis
on learning to communicate through interaction in the target language, 2) the introduction of
authentic texts into the learning situation, 3) the provision of opportunities for learners to
focus, not only on language but also on the learning management process, 4) an enhancement
of the learner’s own personal experiences as important contributing elements to classroom
learning, 5) an attempt to link classroom language learning with language activities outside
the classroom.
In the middle of 1970s the scope of Communicative Language Teaching has
expanded. Both American and British proponents now see it as an approach that aims to
make communicative competence the goal of language teaching and develop procedures for
teaching of the four language skills that acknowledge the interdependence of language and
communication. Littlewood (1981: 1) states, ”One of the most characteristic features of
communicative language teaching is that it pays systematic attention to functional as well as
structural aspects of language.
Howatt distinguishes between a “strong” and a “weak” version of Communicative
Language Teaching:
There is, in a sense, a ”strong” version of the communicative approach an a “weak”
version. The weak version which has become more and less standard practice in the
last ten years, stresses the importance of providing learners with opportunities to use
their English for communicative purposes and, characteristically, attempts to integrate
such activities into a wider program of language teaching…. The “strong“ version of
communicative teaching, on the other hand, advances the claim that language is
acquired through communication, so that it is not merely a question of activating an
existing but inert knowledge of the language, but of stimulating the development of
the language system itself. If the former could be described as “learning to use”
English, the latter entails “using English to learn it”. (1984: 279)

Historically, CLT has been seen as a response to the Audio-Lingual Method (ALM),
and as an extension or development of the Notional-Functional Syllabus. Task-based
language learning, a more recent refinement of CLT, has gained considerably in popularity.
The Audio-Lingual Method (ALM) is closely tied to behaviorism, and thus made drilling,
repetition, and habit-formation central elements of instruction. Noam Chomsky argued
"Language is not a habit structure. Ordinary linguistic behavior characteristically involves
innovation, formation of new sentences and patterns in accordance with rules of great
abstractness and intricacy". However, Audio-Lingual Methodology (ALM) is still prevalent
in many text books and teaching materials. Moreover, advocates of audio-lingual methods
point to their success in improving aspects of language that are habit driven, most notably
pronunciation.
Finocchiaro and Brumfit (1983) contrast the major distinctive features of the Audio-
Lingual Method (ALM) and the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), according to
their interpretation:

Audio-Lingual Method Communicative Language Teaching

(ALM) (CLT)
Attends to structure and from more than Meaning is paramount
meaning
Demands memorization of structure-based Dialogues, if used, center around
dialogues communicative functions and are not
normally memorized
Language items are not necessary Contextualization is a basic premise
contextualized
Language learning is learning structures, Language learning is learning to
sounds, words communicate
Mastery, or “over-learning”, is sought Effective communication is sought
Drilling is a central technique Drilling may occur, but peripherally
Native-speaker-like pronunciation is sought Comprehensible pronunciation is sought
Grammatically explanation is avoided Any device that helps the learner is
accepted-varying according to their age,
interest, ect
Communicative activities only come after a Attempts to communicate may be
long process of rigid drills and exercises encouraged from the very beginning
The use of the student’s native language is Judicious use of native language is
forbidden accepted where feasible
Translation is forbidden at early levels Translation may be used where students
need or benefit from it
Reading and writing are deferred till speech Reading and writing can start from the first
is mastered day, if desired
The target linguistic system will be learned The target linguistic system will be learned
trough the overt teaching of the patterns of best through the process of struggling to
the system communicate
Linguistic competence is the desire goal Communication competence is the desire
goal (i.e., the ability to use the linguistic
system effectively and appropriately)
Varieties of language are recognize but not Linguistic variation is central concept in
emphasized materials and methodology
The sequence of units is determined solely Sequencing is determined by any
by principles of linguistic complexity consideration of content, function, or
meaning that maintains interest
The teacher controls the learners and Teachers help learners in any way that
prevents them from doing anything that motivates them to work with the language.
conflicts with the theory
“Language is habit” so errors must be Language is created by the individual,
prevented at all costs often through trial and error.
Accuracy, in term of normal correctness, is Fluency and acceptable language is the
primary goal primary goal: Accuracy is judged not in the
abstract but in context.
Students are expected to interact with the Students are expected to interact with other
language system, embodied in machines or people, either in the flesh, through pair and
controlled materials group work, or in their writings.
The teacher is expected to specify the The teacher cannot know exactly what
language that students are to use language the students will use.
Intrinsic motivation will spring from as Intrinsic motivation will spring from an
interest in the structure of language interest in what is being communicated by
the language.

Beside Audio-Lingual Method, CLT has been also seen as an extension or

development of the Notional-Functional Syllabus. A Notional-Functional syllabus is a more a
way of organizing a language learning curriculum than a method or an approach to teaching.
In a Notional-Functional Syllabus, instruction is organized not in terms of grammatical
structure as had often been done with the ALM, but in terms of “notions” and “functions”. A
“notion” is a particular context in which people communicate, and a “function” is a specific
purpose for a speaker in a given context. As an example, the “notion” or context shopping
requires numerous language functions including asking about prices or features of a product
and bargaining. Similarly, the notion party would require numerous functions like
introductions and greetings and discussing interests and hobbies.
As an extension of the Notional-Functional Syllabus, CLT also places great emphasis
on helping students use the target language in a variety of contexts and places great emphasis
on learning language functions. Its primary focus is on helping learners create meaning rather
than helping them develop perfectly grammatical structures or acquire native-like
pronunciation. This means that successfully learning a foreign language is assessed in terms
of how well learners have developed their communicative competence, which can loosely be
defined as their ability to apply knowledge of both formal and sociolinguistic aspects of a
language with adequate proficiency to communicate.
 There are some elements that built Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
Method. They are 1) communication, according to ability, 2) accuracy as well as fluency, 3)
promoting learning, 4) motivation.
http://iteslj.org/Articles/Belchamber-CLT.html
There are six fundamentals proposition in CLT. They are 1) language is primarily a
tool of communication. Learning a language means learning to perform communicative
speech acts with it. In CLT “communication” means using language to make request, give
advice, agree and disagree, complain, praise, to try to persuade people to do things and so on.
The focus should be on meaning, not on form, 2) There is communicative syllabus to replace
the structural syllabus. It is often argued that typical of structuralist syllabus focuses on the
grammatical structure of language rather than on the communicative pragmatic uses, 3)
Communicative goal can be specified. We can accurately describe what learners should have
learned and be able to do with language at the end of the lesson, 4) Good Communicative
teaching is learner-centered, not teach-centered, 5) What the matters most is not weather
learners learn to use language accurancy. Children learning in school must be taught that
language learning is about communicating, not getting things right, 6) The classroom and the
behavior of teachers and learners in the classroom should be as similar as possible to
behavior of people in the real world outside the classroom.
Halliday described seven basic functions that language performs for children learning
their first language, they are 1) the instrumental function; using language to get things, 2) the
regulatory function; using language to control the behavior of others, 3) the interactional
function; using language to create interaction with others, 4) the personal function; using
language to express personal feeling and meanings; 5) the heuristic function; using language
to learn and to discover, 6) the imaginative function; using language to create a world of the
imagination, 7) the representational function; using language to communicate information.
Based on the assumption above learning a foreign language was similarly viewed by
proponents of communicative language teaching as acquiring the linguistic means to perform
different kinds of functions.
There are some objectives in Communicative Approach. Piepho (1981: 8) discusses
the following levels of objectives in a communicative approach, they are 1) an integrative
and content level (language as a means of expression), 2) a linguistic and instrumental level
(language as a means of expression), 3) an affective level of interpersonal relationship and
conduct (language as a means of expressing values and judgment about oneself and others),
4) a level of individual learning needs (remedial learning based on error analysis), 5) a
general education level of extra linguistics goal (language learning within the school
curriculum).
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chomsky, N. 1967. Aspect of the Theory of Syntax. Cambridge: MIT Press.

Finocchiaro, M., and C. Brumfit. 1983. The Functional-Notional Approach: From Theory to
Practice. New York: Oxford University.

Howatt, A. P. R. 1984. A History of English Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University

Press.

Littlewood, W. 1984. Foreign and Second Language Learning: Language Acquisition Research
and Its Implications for the Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.