Communicative Approach In Teaching English

Introduction:

Teaching English effectively is a multi-faceted discipline involving many different methods and strategies, all tailored to the appropriate level of the students. When teaching English to ESL learners, teachers must consider the disparate ability levels of the students in the four fundamental skill areas of listening and reading (receptive skills), as well as speaking and writing (productive skills). For example, at the Essentials-2 level, learners are just beginning to get comfortable with basic English instructions and taking part in factual conversations on a predictable topic, limiting their ability to carry out many activities (ITTO, 2016). With the students’ level in mind, a workable teaching approach can be utilized using

A Direct Approach will be used, which means we will only use English in the class, and that students will learn grammar inductively in a top-down way (ITTO, 2016). Concurrently, the Comprehension Based Approach, which emphasizes listening and comprehension activities similar to those in the process of acquiring one’s mother tongue, will be applied (ITTO, 2016). Finally, the Communicative Approach will also be used, which promotes authentic language use, drama, notions, and functions as a system of communication (Moskovitz, 1968).

These approaches are most effective for the lesson plan because students will be watching (and listening to) a video using authentic, natural English, which will teach them inductively

both grammar and how to communicate correctly in the target language. The accompanying written portion will stress additional skills but still use similar principles to develop students’ proficiency in the corresponding skill area.

Classifications of Language

Students will be actively producing their own language (Eliciting), although since they are only at the E2 level, a quick sample question and answer will be provided on the worksheet to give them a conversational model to work from. This example conversation will be part of a quick Drilling pre-speaking exercise to allow practice and repetition of the target grammar and vocabulary. Cueing, or providing part of a statement for the students to fill in, will be used to introduce and solidify the concept of asking “Can you?” questions, as well as getting the students to answer them in the right form once speaking on their own (ITTO,