انجمن علمی زبان دانشگاه آزاد یزد

Beliefs and Principles of Communicative Approach

Adherents of the communicative approach follow a number of complementary beliefs and principles that guide a variety of curricular and instructional practices: (a) Learners learn a language by using it to communicate, (b) authentic and meaningful communication should be the goal of classroom activities, (c) fluency is an important dimension of communication, (d) communication involves the integration of different language skills, and (e) learning is a process of creative construction and involves trial and error.

Additional concepts that shape the communicative view of language are that (a) language is a system for the expression of meaning, (b) the primary function of language is to allow interaction and communication, (c) language structure reflects communicative use, and (d) units of language include not only grammar and structure but also communicative meaning as exemplified through discourse.

Various linguistic theorists represent important concepts as they relate to the communicative approach. Each concept complements and extends the next and lends texture and depth to the description of the communicative approach, which, in turn, guides any of a number of ways in which the approach is manifest in practice. Language conveys meaning in the communicative approach. Given this understanding of language, communicative teachers aim to make communicative competence the goal of language teaching and to develop procedures for teaching the four language skills (i.e., listening, speaking, reading, and writing) that acknowledge the interdependence of language and communication.

Important features of communicative teaching include the following:

  Meaning is the primary focus.

  Dialogues illustrate communicative functions but are not memorized as a way to absorb patterns.

  Language learning is learning to communicate.

  Drilling is permitted, but it is peripheral.

  Comprehensible pronunciation is sought.

  Judicious use of the home language is permitted.

  Translation is permitted when needed and when there is a benefit.

  Communicative competence (not linguistic competence) is the desired goal.

  Mistakes are necessary to learning.

  Students are expected to interact with other people.

  The teacher cannot know exactly what language forms and structures the students will use.

There are four dimensions of communicative competence: grammatical competence, sociolinguistic competence, discourse competence, and strategic competence. Grammatical competence is linguistic competence, or grammatical and lexical capacity. Sociolinguistic competence refers to the relationship between the social context in which the communication takes place and the communicative purpose of the interaction. Discourse competence refers to the inter-connectedness of message elements in discourse to communicate meaning. Strategic competence refers to coping strategies communicators use to initiate, terminate, maintain, repair, or redirect communication. In this view, therefore, there is no single measure of proficiency or fluency; all four measures should be taken and reported as necessary.

 Source: SAGE REFERENCE ONLINE