scholarly journals Exploring Communicative Language Teaching Principles Alignment of English Textbook in Saudi Arabia Middle School

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed O. Alharbi

This paper aims to analysis an English language textbook used in “middle school” (high school) in Saudi Arabia in-depth, to ascertain the type of pedagogy pushed by the teacher’s book. The criteria of analysis are adapted from Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). These criteria are used to analyses the textbook in terms of how communicative it is and personalised, how authentic, how meaningful; its degree of linguistic complexity; whether it is scaffolded, accuracy or fluency oriented; and how much of all each of these categories is in the textbook activities. The methodology of this paper is qualitative and presents only one aspect, textbook analysis, of a broader case study which forms part of a Ph.D. project that explores the factors behind the failure of implementation of CLT in Saudi Arabia. The results of this analysis show that in the textbook there is a careful balance between accuracy and fluency. There are some person, alised and meaningful activities, however most of the activities lack of authenticity which limits freedom for the students in using use the target language.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 96-109
Author(s):  
Ahmed O. Alharbi

This paper aims to analysis an English language textbook used in “middle school” (high school) in Saudi Arabia in-depth, to ascertain the type of pedagogy pushed by the teacher’s book. The criteria of analysis are adapted from Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). These criteria are used to analyses the textbook in terms of how communicative it is and personalised, how authentic, how meaningful; its degree of linguistic complexity; whether it is scaffolded, accuracy or fluency oriented; and how much of all each of these categories is in the textbook activities. The methodology of this paper is qualitative and presents only one aspect, textbook analysis, of a broader case study which forms part of a Ph.D. project that explores the factors behind the failure of implementation of CLT in Saudi Arabia. The results of this analysis show that in the textbook there is a careful balance between accuracy and fluency. There are some person, alised and meaningful activities, however most of the activities lack of authenticity which limits freedom for the students in using use the target language.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Irene Mollel

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to make a thorough assessment of how communicative language teaching method activates student learning process in secondary schools in Tanzania, particularly Arusha district. Methodology: This study employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches under case study design and data were gathered through questionnaires and interviews. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive and thematic analysis. Findings: Results from the study reveals that, CLT promotes learner’s self-expression abilities using a target language; build learners communicative competences; Create and maintain the interaction between language, learner and the speaker and enhance easy assessment of the learners' practices and development.   Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy CLT method is the best approach to be adopted by all teachers on instructing learners’ new language particularly the English language. The scrutiny of this study will help the policymakers to review the curriculum and add utmost CLT activities to be done in and outside the classroom thus enable students to get more time to practice the language.


English for Academic Purposes course focusing on the academic language needs of students is a subfield of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It is a type of specialized course to integrate specific subject matter, language content, and material based on learners’ needs. The study aims to evaluate the British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) coursebook in terms of content, sequencing, learners’ autonomy, motivation, feedback and focus on language skills. Furthermore, the study tries to provide a general perception of the usefulness and effectiveness of the coursebook for undergraduate students. The EAP Students’ Manual coursebook is used as a primary source for the data collection. The researcher has chosen Nation & Macalister (2010) model of language teaching principles to analyze and discuss the data. The study found the coursebook a useful, effective and an appropriate source of English language learning in terms of the investigated aspects of the book. The findings report that the coursebook provides practice and practical usage in all domains of the academically required English language skills. It helps the students to build language competency and to be more independent learners. In addition, it provides an opportunity to the learners to think in the target language, use the language more practically and learn it in a natural type of environment. The study concludes and suggests that the content needs to be supplemented with English language audios and videos presenting the students relevant documentaries and helping material in order to make the coursebook and the learning process more useful, effective, interesting and motivating. Furthermore, the study recommends that while choosing /designing a coursebook for a certain course, it needs to be evaluated following the various criteria and language-teaching-principles suggested by different language researchers.


English for Academic Purposes course focusing on the academic language needs of students is a subfield of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It is a type of specialized course to integrate specific subject matter, language content, and material based on learners’ needs. The study aims to evaluate the British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) coursebook in terms of content, sequencing, learners’ autonomy, motivation, feedback and focus on language skills. Furthermore, the study tries to provide a general perception of the usefulness and effectiveness of the coursebook for undergraduate students. The EAP Students’ Manual coursebook is used as a primary source for the data collection. The researcher has chosen Nation & Macalister (2010) model of language teaching principles to analyze and discuss the data. The study found the coursebook a useful, effective and an appropriate source of English language learning in terms of the investigated aspects of the book. The findings report that the coursebook provides practice and practical usage in all domains of the academically required English language skills. It helps the students to build language competency and to be more independent learners. In addition, it provides an opportunity to the learners to think in the target language, use the language more practically and learn it in a natural type of environment. The study concludes and suggests that the content needs to be supplemented with English language audios and videos presenting the students relevant documentaries and helping material in order to make the coursebook and the learning process more useful, effective, interesting and motivating. Furthermore, the study recommends that while choosing /designing a coursebook for a certain course, it needs to be evaluated following the various criteria and language-teaching-principles suggested by different language researchers.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lubna Ali Mohammed ◽  
Sidek H.M ◽  
Murad Abdu Saeed

Recently, within the increasing implementation of the communicative language teaching (CLT) approach to teaching English as a foreign language (EFL), the Yemeni EFL secondary school curriculum has adopted the CLT approach. This qualitative exploratory case study aimed at examining whether or not the Yemeni English for Science and Technology (EST) senior secondary reading instructional implementation is a communicative-based instruction in nature as it is labelled. The data were collected from reading classroom observations and analysed in terms of student-teacher interaction pattern as well as teacher and learner roles based on  Richards’ and Rodgers’ Model (2001). The coding scheme used for coding the features of the Initiation-Response-Evaluation method (IRE) and the Communicative Reading Instructional method (CRI) was developed from previous studies. The findings showed that the traditional IRE and the teacher role as a director are extensively represented in the Yemeni EST senior secondary school reading instruction more than the CRI. This finding contradicts the communicative-label of the Yemeni English language curriculum. The findings are discussed in terms of the alignment of the curriculum communicative-label with regards to the EST senior secondary school reading classroom instructional implementation. Keywords: Communicative Language Teaching approach (CLT); Initiation-Response-Evaluation Approach (IREA); Communicative Reading Instructional Approach (CRIA). 


2002 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangyong Sun ◽  
Liying Cheng

This article discusses the implementation of communicative language teaching methodology in the EFL context in one institution in China. The context and curriculum development of the English teaching program at Private Pui Ching Commercial College is used here as a case study. The article suggests that a preliminary stage of context-based communicative curriculum development is necessary. Such a preliminary stage aims to investigate first the context of an English language teaching program, and then the process of adapting the program to its context for implementation. A framework for such a context investigation is proposed. Three key questions regarding the integration of the context study into curriculum design are also discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Umar Farooq ◽  
Abdul Fatah Soomro ◽  
Abdul Fatah Soomro ◽  
Muhammad Umer ◽  
Muhammad Umer

Culture and language are inseparable. Language is used both as a means of communication as well as a carrier of culture. Language without culture is unthinkable, so is human culture without language (Wei, 2005). While teaching a foreign language, a teacher needs to accustom himself with the culture of the target language and the culture of learners. However, teachers in different classrooms in different parts of the world still ignore the importance of culture as a part of language study. This study focuses on perception and practices of teachers regarding culture and English language teaching in Saudi Arabia. The data were collected from 121 (60 male and 61 female) teachers of different cultural background through a questionnaire on their perceptions and implication of teaching target culture in the classroom through English language courses. It was revealed that all teachers have knowledge about the aspects of the target culture to some extent, but how they deal with the target culture is affected highly by the curricular considerations and limitations. 


Author(s):  
Nahúm Misael Tórrez

Textbooks hold a fundamental position in English Language Teaching (ELT). Today, their main aim is to contribute to the development of the learner’s communicative competence. This paper sets out to set the basis for constructing a framework for characterizing ELT textbooks, in terms of their opportunities to promote communicative competence. In order to provide a theoretical foundation for the framework, it first introduces the notions of input (Krashen, 1989) and output (Swain & Lapkin, 1995). Then, it presents two influential models of communicative competence, i.e., those of Canale and Swain (1980), and the Common European Framework for Reference of Languages (Council of Europe, 2001, 2018). Following that, it presents two significantly quoted sets of principles for the study of learning materials in Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), i.e., the principles of Richards and Rodgers (2014) and Nation (2007). Building on the models and principles, the paper suggests eleven criteria for characterizing communication-oriented ELT textbooks, covering input in the form of topics and texts, and output in the form of activities. A short discussion of the main affordances of the suggested framework is provided at the end of the article.   Keywords: Communicative Competence, ELT Textbooks, Textbook Analysis, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT).  


Author(s):  
Ekrem Eroz ◽  
Azamat A. Akbarov

This research study investigates the place of communicative language teaching in one of the capital Balkan cities in Sarajevo, in Bosnia by exploring attitudes and perceptions of Bosnian EFL students. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data from the target EFL learner groups. The findings of the survey revealed that Bosnian learners have positive views and attitudes toward communicative language teaching. According to Hymes (1972), the goal of language teaching is to improve the communicative competence of learners. That is why, educators should focus on the communication skills of learners rather than their grammar-based knowledge and being able to communicate effectively in the target language is the most important of all skills. However, some external factors, like exam system, high number of students in the classes, can be barriers to implement CLT effectively in different EFL contexts and they force teachers to use traditional methods in language teaching but this presumption is lower or almost unlikely in private education institutions thanks to the amenities. Supporting the view above, the results of survey also reported that EFL learners have favourable beliefs for the use of CLT in their classrooms and they believe that as a foreign language English learning is very important in their country and for their future careers. Key words: EFL (English as a Foreign Language), learner beliefs, communicative competence, CLT (communicative language teaching), English language teaching.


English for Academic Purposes course focusing on the academic language needs of students is a subfield of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It is a type of specialized course to integrate specific subject matter, language content, and material based on learners’ needs. The study aims to evaluate the British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) coursebook in terms of content, sequencing, learners’ autonomy, motivation, feedback and focus on language skills. Furthermore, the study tries to provide a general perception of the usefulness and effectiveness of the coursebook for undergraduate students. The EAP Students’ Manual coursebook is used as a primary source for the data collection. The researcher has chosen Nation & Macalister (2010) model of language teaching principles to analyze and discuss the data. The study found the coursebook a useful, effective and an appropriate source of English language learning in terms of the investigated aspects of the book. The findings report that the coursebook provides practice and practical usage in all domains of the academically required English language skills. It helps the students to build language competency and to be more independent learners. In addition, it provides an opportunity to the learners to think in the target language, use the language more practically and learn it in a natural type of environment. The study concludes and suggests that the content needs to be supplemented with English language audios and videos presenting the students relevant documentaries and helping material in order to make the coursebook and the learning process more useful, effective, interesting and motivating. Furthermore, the study recommends that while choosing /designing a coursebook for a certain course, it needs to be evaluated following the various criteria and language-teaching-principles suggested by different language researchers.


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