A Study on the Communicative Approach

广西贵港桂平市浔州高中英语组 班燕霞

Introduction

The goal of the foreign language teaching is to help the learner master the foreign language in the shortest possible time. The communicative approach emphasizes that the goal of language learning is communicative competence. And it is integrates language four skills---listening,speaking, reading, writing. So it is considered to be the most affective way in the foreign language teaching at present.

The Communicative Approach

1. Background

Towards the end of the 1960s there went on a growing dissatisfaction among foreign language teachers with the dominating language teaching method of the time. Language learner were them required, a b o v e a l l, t o m a s t e r grammatical forms accurately,and this mastery of language structures was the main measure of competence in a foreign language. The criticism was that this kind of teaching produced structurally competent students who were often communicatively incompetent. Another reason for this dissatisfaction was undoubtedly the fact that by the late 1960s, there were increasing possibilities for international communication, professional cooperation and travel, whether for business, further study, or other purpose. These changes attracted the attention of the Council of Europe. Then a number of experts proposed to set up a scheme to teach the language of Europe particularly with the needs of adult learners in mind. Meanwhile, people realized the meaning and context are connected. They began to consider semantics to be basic to any theoretical model of language.Meaning was seen to depend to a large degree on the social contexts in which speech acts occurred.

2.Theoretical Basis

The Communicative Approach is founded that it has its theoretical basis. It includes the theory of language and the theory of learning. It will be explained as follows.

2.1Theory of language

The Communicative Approach in language teaching starts from a theory of language as communication when we communicate; we use the language to accomplish some functions,such as arguing, persuading or promising. Moreover, we carry out these functions within a social context. A speaker will choose a particular way to express his thought not only bases on his intent and his level of emotion,but also on whom he is addressing and what his relationship with that person is. For example, he may be more direct in arguing with his friend than with employer.

2.2Theory of learning

More contributors to the Communicative Approach share the view that language is used for communication and are more concerned with meaning than with structure. They tend to argue that language is best learned through use in social context.

3. Main features

T h e r e a r e f i v e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f t h e Communicative Approach as follows：An emphasis on learning to communicate through interaction in the target language; The introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation;The provision of opportunities for learners to focus not only on language but also on the learning process itself; An enhancement of the learner’s own personal experiences as important contributing elements to classroom learning; An attempt to link classroom language learning with language activation outside the classroom. The most obvious characteristics of the Communicative Approach are that almost everything is done with a communicative intent.

4. Objectives

The general aim of the Communicative Approach is to develop the students’communicative competence.The objectives of a course of language instruction cannot be defined until the learners’needs have been identified. In order to identify their needs, it is necessary to carry out a needs analysis. Nest, it is necessary to decide what vocabulary language structures and functions they will need to know, to what level of accuracy, in order to achieve their purpose.

5. Techniques

The Communicative Approach advocates the integration of skills. The learners should know how the four skills can be used effectively in appropriate contexts. In developing listening and note-taking skills by using audiovideo materials, the communicative approach teacher might first ask learners what they know or think about the topic in the first instance.And then the students listen to the tape and take down the notes. After that, the students discuss the questions in “real”life. During the talk, the other learners are required to pay attention to it so that they can ask questions or discuss questions after the talk has finished. Role-play activities involve the learner in “role assumption”, in other words the learner takes on a different role from his normal one by“play the part” of a different person. Simulation work, on the other hand, usually requires the learners to take part in communication which involves personal experience and emotions.

Conclusion

The Communicative Approach is now accepted by many teachers as the most effective approach among those in general use. That’s why more and more teachers use it in the classroom teaching at present. Among the foreign language teaching methods,the Communicative Approach is considered to be the most efficient and effective way.