Communicative Approaches to Language Teaching

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Communicative Approaches to Language Teaching

• From Principles to Practice

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What is Communicative Competence?

• First introduced by Dell Hymes, the concept of
  Communicative Competence suggests that there is
  more to language than mere grammatical
  competence. To be successful in language
  learning, students need to know how language is
  used by members of a speech community and how
  language structures can be used functionally
  within that community.

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Flint ESL Content Standards
(standards link).

• The Flint ESL Content Standards are
  communicatively based, outlining the
• A. Social Language
• Academic Language
• Sociocultural Language
• Which students need to acquire in order to use
  English to communicate in social settings, to
  achieve academically, in socially and culturally
  appropriate ways.

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Principle 1 Exposure to, and interaction in
diverse situations

• Bringing the outside world into the classroom
  using . . .
• Role play
• Simulation
• Problem solving activities
• Language rich experiences.

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Principle 2 Authentic Language

• Naturally occurring language when possible.
• Simulated language which approximates natural
  language.

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Principle 3 Emphasis on Meaning

• Language input that is meaningful.
• Krashens i (input) 1. Input at a level just
  above the students current level (a stretching
  experience).
• Meaning negotiation.
• Negotiated language acquisition/Pushed Output
  (Nunan 1999).

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Principle 4 Involvement in Real Communicative
Activities (with a purpose)

• Going to the store.
• Filling out a form.
• Saying Im sorry.
• Expressing needs, feelings, desires (politely, in
  socially appropriate ways)
• Making a friend.

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Principle 5 Opportunities for Expression

• Ideas
• Opinions
• Needs
• Agreement
• Disagreement
• ???

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Principle 6 Cooperative Learning
Maximization of Communicative Involvement

• Cooperative learning groups.
• Shy/vocal students.
• Solving language puzzle together
• Silent period breakouts.

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Principles in Practice

• Picture Bingo (using pictures to communicate
  meaning), other Bingo v.
• Video Jigsaw (cooperative learning, real
  communication with a purpose, auth. Lang.)
• Using clip art in stories (meaning negotiation).

• Magnetic poetry.
• TPR (total physical response) for classroom
  commands.
• Songs and cloze exercises (Hot Pot).
• Available resources

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Ideas (from Wkshp 1)

• Menuinvite another class
• Politeness practicetelephone etiquette
• Thank you letters
• Application forms
• Cross-age tutoring, educational boardgames

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Tools of the Trade and Re-Tooling

• Tools get old.
• New tools are developed.
• Tools we dont even know exist are available.
• Re-using old tools.
• Integrating new technology.
• Developing our own toolbox of favorites.

Get the job done!
Tool up !
Re-tool
Right tool for the job?
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Links and Resources

• Hot Potatoes Overview
• Hot Potatoes Site
• The ESL Café

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References

• Nunan, D.H. (1999). Second Language Teaching and
  Learning. Boston Heinle and Heinle.