Does the Communicative Approach have some benefits in public schools in Turkey? (part-1)

Communicative Language Teaching begins with the changes in British language teaching tradition in the twentieth century.  Linguists starts  to analyze language as a system for the expression of meanings rather than as rules. This analysis leaves a great effect on language teaching. The aims of Communicative Language Teaching are determined as making communicative competence the goal of language teaching and developing ways to teach four language skills accepting relationship between language and communication. (J. Richards and T. Rodgers, 2001, Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, p.153) When it begins, some views arise about the method. For example, some people think that it means little more than an integration of grammatical and functional teaching. Littlewood (1981:1) points out, “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.” The others denote that it is a procedure in which learners work in groups in problem solving tasks. For all above the reasons, the approach is the core of the teaching process, the process of communication. Then, some questions come into our minds: Are there any advantages or disadvantages of this method?  Can we apply it in our public schools?

Communicative language teaching can have some benefits if it can be applicable in public schools in Turkey. We use traditional ways like teacher-centered methods to teach English, so it becomes hard for learners to use it effectively in the class or real life. Yet, CLT is a student-centered method and requires the use of communicative processes as information sharing , negotiation of meaning  and interaction. .(J. Richards and T. Rodgers,2001:160-161) Its focus is related with the students’ needs so it will provide our learners with comprehensive use of English language and easy communication of opportunities. Also, the students, unlike present, can be more creative and acquire linguistic performance because this method establishes problem solving skills and trains students appropriateness of language use, feasibility as well as language in the form. In some situations , most advanced learners in universities, especially in English Language Teaching Department, worry about communicative language teaching  such as : what learning and teaching will be like. It constitutes a set for both learners and instructors that makes learning hard and leads to confusion in minds while the method is being taught.  However, in CLT there is often no text, grammar rules aren’t presented, classroom arrangement is nonstandard.( Freeman and D. Larsen,2000:126-127)The only thing is expected from students to interact with each other rather than teacher. When these points are caught by the teachers in future, they compromise that CLT can be beneficial for public school students and the level of success in Turkey can be increased. In addition, as it is usually seen in our primary schools, students are afraid of joining the activities because of the teacher intervention in front of their friends when mistakes are made. But errors are not corrected immediately by the teacher in CLT, so it becomes unnecessary to join the activities ashamedly. Teacher – student interaction is also important and CLT provides this opportunity to both student and the teacher. It changes the way as known classical. Contrary to the old, student develops the subject so he becomes initiative. Harmonious relationship can be built up between student and teacher instead of traditional one, like master-servant relationship. Moreover, intrinsic motivation of a learner spring from an interest in what is being communicated by the language due to CLT. (J. Richards and T. Rodgers, 2001:157) ın language teaching, attention is most important thing so teachers must always catch the students attention. CLT allows chances to keep the students awake thanks to instructional materials, especially task-based materials. A variety of games, role plays, simulations and task-based communication activities support the classes