learning activities to best help you get the most out of your class!

You can check the video below and

on Sanako’s Youtube Channel.

What is Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)?

Communicative language teaching methodology emerged in the 1980s as a response to the growing
demand for a language curriculum that would enable learners to use the second language in real-life
situations. Previously, foreign language teaching (or English language teaching for non-native
English speakers) has predominantly had its emphasis on grammatical competence, especially
because grammar-translation was the most accepted teaching method, rather than actually focusing
on developing students’ communication and interaction skills.

At the end of the day, language does principally exist to make communication possible. CLT methods
primarily focus on the interaction during a classroom-based foreign language class or remote
language learning session, in which language learners actually produce speech and engage in
conversations for most of the classroom time using the target language.

The main purpose behind communicative language teaching methods is to prepare students to be
con dent communicators in different real-life contexts, through repetitive oral practices and student-
student cooperation. In CLT, communication is the end and the means of the teaching method. You
can read more about the advantages of the CLT approach here: “What are the advantages of
Communicative Language Teaching?“
 “One can master the rules of sentence formation in a language and still not be
very successful at being able to use the language for meaningful
communication (Richards 2006).”

Encourage student-student interaction with role-playing

and collaborative tasks
Student-student interaction plays an essential role in applying a communicative teaching approach.
As the more traditional teaching styles have usually been rather teacher dominant with students
mainly learning through passive listening, student-student interaction, on the contrary, focuses on the
active interaction among the students themselves during language classes.

Student-student interaction embraces the strategies of cooperative learning in which each student’s
learning success is dependent on the whole group’s input during the classroom sessions. This is an
effective way of engaging the whole class as such exercises engage all students, not just the
minority of active students who typically participate in a regular class.

One popular CLT activity is role-playing. There is a playful component in role-playing that helps
students practice speaking without feeling pressure. You can for example assign parts to your
students, or let them decide on a speci c setting. Choose a topic that is relevant to students, or one
that connects to other topics explained in class. This will ensure that role-playing is an integral part
of language lessons and not only a stand-alone experience.

Collaborative tasks like assigning student groups to solve a puzzle using only the target language
are also popular activities in CLT. This type of exercise allows not only to enhance students’
communication skills and language skills but also to experiment with the peer-learning approach,
which is useful in strengthening relationships among students.

How to make use of communicative language teaching in

your language instruction?
Although a teacher’s role is not as dominant during exercises that emphasize student-student
interaction, it certainly is substantial in making the interactional learning space as functional for the
students as possible.
In order to implement CLT methods successfully, it requires more than simply placing students into
pairs and groups. To quote Felder and Henriquez (1995: 25):

“The benefits of the approach are fully realized when the group work is
structured to assure such features as positive interdependence, individual
accountability, and appropriate uses of teamwork and interpersonal skills”.

Each student in a language classroom has individual needs, levels of abilities, and interests.
Therefore, having different tasks designed to meet the needs and skills of different students is
essential in CLT. Also, providing a supportive learning environment makes participation easier for
students, especially those who easily feel shy about active participation.

Some of the challenges that teachers may face when implementing this method in their language
classrooms are:

1. Large class sizes: CLT is most effective in smaller groups where students can actively engage in
communicative activities. In large classes, it can be challenging to manage and facilitate
meaningful interaction between all students and the teacher’s time might not be su cient to
provide feedback and support for all student pairs/groups.

2. Limited resources: Implementing CLT may require additional language learning resources, such as
authentic materials, audio-visual aids, or digital tools. Inadequate access to these resources can
hinder the effective application of CLT in the classroom.

3. Student expectations: Some students might have a traditional view of language learning,
expecting a focus on grammar and vocabulary. They may be resistant to the communicative
approach or feel frustrated by the emphasis on speaking-based activities.

4. Cultural barriers: In some cultures, students may be hesitant to speak up or engage in

communicative activities due to societal norms, inhibitions, or concerns about making mistakes in
front of their peers.

5. Assessment challenges: Traditional language assessments and exams often focus on reading,
writing and grammar skills rather than communicative competence. Teachers may nd it di cult
to assess students’ progress in a way that aligns with the goals of CLT and they might need to
spend extra time redesigning their assessment and examination processes.
7 practical tips towards applying the communicative
language teaching method:
1. Have plenty of communicative student-student activities (pair discussions, role-playing, puzzle-
solving, and other collaborative tasks) so that each student is constantly exposed to the target
language.

2. Communicative activities should include a clear situation or context, the roles of the speakers, and
a communicative purpose.

3. Practice different formal and informal interactions through games, role-play, and problem-solving
tasks.

4. Teachers should concentrate on providing a supportive learning atmosphere and selecting

personalized tasks for students in terms of their individual level, needs, and interests. The teacher
should see themselves more as a facilitator than a lecturer.

5. Focus on uency before accuracy. Encourage students to prioritize uency and communication.
Obviously as a teacher you should also address accuracy when necessary but it is good to keep
the priority and emphasis on uency. Provide feedback and corrections in a supportive manner
that encourages continued communication.

. Encourage self-re ection and self-assessment: Help students develop metacognitive skills by
encouraging them to re ect on their language learning progress and set goals for improvement.
This fosters a sense of responsibility and autonomy in their learning process.

7. Use the right tools for creating and assigning speaking-based language learning activities. For
example, you can use modern language teaching software tools like Sanako Connect that allow
recording each students’ individual speaking practices and group/pair work. Software tools like
this also enable important self-evaluation by allowing students to listen back to their own speech
and recordings.

If you’d like to learn more about how to use CLT in your foreign language teaching you might also
want to read our other articles that expand on this main article’s key points:

What are the advantages of Communicative Language Teaching?

How can language teachers use CLT when teaching remotely?

8 reasons why teachers should use the Communicative Language Teaching