Applications of Communicative Language Teaching Techniques in Reading Classes: A Special Focus On Junior Colleges in Telangana Region (India)
Applications of Communicative Language Teaching Techniques in Reading Classes: A Special Focus On Junior Colleges in Telangana Region (India)
Applications of Communicative Language Teaching Techniques in Reading Classes: A Special Focus On Junior Colleges in Telangana Region (India)
ca/wjel
Departement of English Kakatiya Institute of Technology and Science, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, India
*Correspondence: Kakatiya Institute of Technology and Science, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, India
Tel: 994-960-5716. E-mail: [email protected]
Received: April 5, 2013
doi:10.5430/wjel.v3n2p57
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v3n2p57
Abstract
Having worked in several Junior Colleges for many years and taught the students of both First and Second Year of
Intermediate, the researcher was motivated to investigate into the perilous problems of both pedagogues and learners in
teaching and learning, in order to discover judicious remedies for their irradiation. A prime focus on learners and
teaching methods have provided an understanding to the researcher that too much interference of regional language,
lack of reading habits and total absence of learning activities are the major causes for the poor communicative ability of
students. The researchers experiments with students of different learning capacities and the presentation of data
analysis in the paper confirm the adaptability of communicative approach in reading classes. The paper accentuates the
need for promoting learning ambience in English classrooms through compulsory participation of every student in
various modes of interactions. It also offers an explanation regarding the role of teachers and students in
communicative classes. Focusing on language acquisition through communicative approach the author proceeds to
highlight the effectiveness of the approach and suggests reforms in reading activities in English class. In conclusion,
the paper asserts that communicative ability is strengthened through reading and judicious implementation of teaching
strategies will be successful in training and guiding the students to acquire sound communicative ability.
Keywords: communicative competence; reading activities; regional language dominance
1. Introduction
A desire to world exposure has successfully orientated the interest of students to learning of English for
communication purpose. It is for this reason; the mode of teaching of English has conspicuously changed from
Traditional Method of explaining to Communicative Method of involving. Of course, this does not mean that
Traditional Method of teaching the language in schools, colleges and even in universities has altogether vanished.
There is still strict adherence to Traditional Method of explaining the text to students in order to prepare them for
examinations. Language teaching done in this way is too ineffective to help the students use it in real life situations and
is sure to end up with a farewell to reading. Cliffor H. Pator (1965) points out: : On the theoretical level, it would be
easy to convince ourselves that communication is an essential component of language, that language bereft of its
communicative functions is not language at all, but mere parroting. To test the communication ability of students,
the researcher organized group discussions in a few Junior colleges on topics like ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION,
DEMOCRACY AND INDIVIDUALS ROLE and ETHICAL USE OF TECHNOLOGY. The students were found
unwilling to participate in the activity. When asked, they disclosed that they were bereft of ideas to speak about the
topics given. This brought realization to the researcher that except text books, students never bothered to read any
newspapers or novels or story books. The deficiency of knowledge, which is the consequence of complete elimination
of reading, is detrimental to any progress. Lack of reading badly affects the thinking faculty of individuals and this
leads to stagnation of knowledge. The researchers determination to prove that reading opens gates to wisdom and
communicative approach in reading classes would provide an easy access to learning became the basis of this research
work. The paper emphasizes the need for inserting Reading Classes in regular timetable and train students to become
autonomous learners. The paper highlights that reading is the foundation for efficient communication. The students are
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elated to participate in any communicative activity when they possess the knowledge of current and past issues. Brown
states, Before you read, spend some time introducing a topic, encouraging skimming, scanning, and activating schema.
Students can bring the best of their knowledge and skills to a text when they have been given a chance to ease into the
message.According to Carnegie (1962), Reading is the subject to be learned by children; a child will learn little else
in todays world if he does not first learn to read properly.
The other significant thing that fell in the notice of the researcher was undue focus on grammar teaching in colleges.
This conscious teaching of grammar and giving grammar exercises for practice would produce positive results in
examinations but cannot promote communicative ability among students. According to Hu (2002) this traditional
grammar-translation method failed to develop an adequate level of communicative competence (i.e. the ability to use
the target language for authentic communication) The Traditional Method of grammar teaching will permanently
close the doors of learning in a student. Steinberg and Horwitz state : (1986: cited MacIntyre and Gardner, (1991:296)
Grammar is a set of rules which the learner not only has a tough time to learn but also an enervating activity of
remembering and retrieving them. Language fluency is not merely because of grammar awareness. Eminent
grammarians may not be adept users of language. Krashen (1987) states, that we should present rules at one time in
one order when the goal is conscious learning. He stipulates that grammar teaching as knowledge is a kind that cannot
be passed on with rules, but can only be acquired unconsciously through exposure to the language.(Krashen 1988). The
institutions consist of instructors who possess deft command over language but, nonetheless, they need hands on
training in teaching a language because teaching a language is different from being able to speak or write it. Having
performed various tasks as a part of research; like interacting with teachers and students, observing teaching strategies,
and testing modes, the researcher arrived to a conclusion that communicative approach in teaching would produce
effective results in teaching-learning process.
The research lasted for eight months from July 2012 to Febraury 2013. Ten colleges at plus two level were chosen in
Telangana Region of Andhra Pradesh state in India which followed state syllabus. As a part of research, the
background of the students, suitability of the teachers to teach at college level, usefulness of the syllabus, experiments
through implementation of reading in classrooms, and the advantages of them were mainly focused. The purpose of the
research is to find out the outcomes of communicative approach in reading at college level.
2. The Basis of the Study
Teaching is not restricted to any single method. Keeping in view of the growing needs of students, new teaching
strategies, techniques and methods are being invented and implemented to help the students acquire language skills.
Every new strategy consists of better advantages than the previous one. A study of these methodologies provides an
understanding that no teaching method is self-sufficient. But there is a possibility of effective learning when students
experiment with what they are learning from instruction and discover from exposure to the examples that are provided
by the teachers. According to Snow (1996), Students learn effectively about language when they take part actively in
communication with language rather than passively accepting what the teacher said. It is only through such
experimentation that students become able users of a language. Hence the responsibility of the instructor is to foster a
practice-based study environment with orientation towards more participatory experimental techniques (Knowles
1970,p.45). According to Littlewood,(1981) many aspects of language will take place only through natural process,
which operate when a person is involved in using the language for communication. Ellis (1997) says, Whether the
learner is a good or a poor one depends largely on his/her understanding of the language, when learners are given a
chance to make the full use of the limited time in classes to communicate overall language competence by
communicating their text material in class which is largely reading material. According to Krashen (1983) adults
have two distinctive ways of developing competences in second languages. Acquisition that is by using language for
real communication knowing about language
The main objective of the research is to develop communicative competence among students. Students are to be trained
in such a way that they are successful in expressing themselves in appropriate language. The language pedagogues
should pay painstaking attention to activity-based learning and motivate the students to participate in classroom
activities for practical application of their knowledge in daily interactions. Widdowson (1978) relates that we should
teach language as communication and not as a stock of usage, which may never be realized in actual use at all. He
continues to state An overemphasis on drills and exercises for the production and reception of sentences tends to
inhibit the development of communicative abilities (1978:67). But in learning centers most of the time Traditional
Method is implemented by instructors due to time constrain and population of the class. The researcher has realized
that the process of learning becomes slow when the teacher is a focal point and learners are dumb listeners.
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Any approach will be effective when the learners are involved in learning programme. The research is intended to
study the reading materials of students to decide the implementation of appropriate reading strategy to strengthen their
communicative ability. Top-down and bottom-up methods are applied in reading. The students apply bottom-up
strategy to identify a word, its structure with reference to spelling, and its pronunciation. Through reading students try
to obtain information, and while reading they are mentally busy with recollections of their experiences, and perceptions,
which show their resemblance with the issues the author has discussed in the text. They later communicate what they
have read by participating in post-reading activities like critical thinking questions, group discussions, and analytical
aptitude. The research is designed to persuade the students that the activity of learning is joyful and proffers full
enjoyment to them when they take full responsibility for their success or failure in handling the language (Brow, 1991).
3. Hypothesis
Three hypotheses were proposed in the beginning of the study
1) Through communicative approach in reading there is a wider scope for students to strengthen their vocabulary
by themselves than when it is done by a teacher independently.
2) Communicative approach through group discussions, debates, and individual presentations based on the
reading material will help students use grammar in correct form in their language. It is to say that unconscious
learning of grammar through communicative approach in reading is possible.
3) Communicative approach will be successful in orientating the interest of students to learning of English.
4. Methodology
During the first month of the study, the researcher interacted with teachers and students of the selected Junior Colleges.
The interaction was done through questionnaires supplied to teachers and students in which the researcher solicited
responses regarding the reading habits, methods, and strategies and their impressions about practicing reading at
college. The opinions of nearly two hundred students including Senior and Junior Intermediate were taken and the data
manifested that 90% of the teachers and students were found in favour of communicative approach in reading while 10%
were reluctant to adopt this strategy. The researcher inferred that communicative strategy could be applied in reading to
improve the students language ability.
The questionnaire consisted of the following questions:
1) To Teachers
What type of exercises do you prefer to give to test the comprehension of students?
Do you encourage your students to read novels to improve their reading ability?
Do you agree that loud reading would improve the pronunciation of students?
2) To Students
Do you believe mere explanation of the text will help the students improve language skills?
Are you ready to share your feelings with your classmates regarding your study material?
With the application of Traditional Method of teaching a language, students are accustomed to listening rather than
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participating. Most of the time they anticipate help from teacher in facilitating the complexity of the text instead of
thinking and discussing. Pino-Sila (1992) advises teachers to explain their students the merits and importance of
reading for pleasure in a foreign language, since it not only improves the readers vocabulary and structure of the
language, but also gives them a feeling of satisfaction to be able to read text in a foreign language. Teachers do not
show much inclination to promoting reading sessions in institutions because they will not be able to complete the
syllabus if they encourage this self-learning process. In such a situation, it was really a challenging task for the
researcher to motivate the students to acquire self-learning skill through reading. The Primary objective of the research
at this juncture was to invite the attention of students to reading and explain to them the advantages of it. The procedure
of the research was done based on the following.
Selection of the participants ( randam selection of nearly 200 participants from Junior and
Senior Intermediate)
Selection of the Reading Materials (I- R.K. Narayans Astrologers Day, A Snake in the Grass, Next Sunday.
II-A.G. Gardiners Essays- All about A Dog, On Saying Please, III-LIVER (Adopted from Richard Selzer Best
Science Writing: Reading and Insights)
Frequency of the sessions ( Every week three session, each session consisting of 50 minutes)
Activities conducted ( Loud reading for pronunciation check, silent reading for identifying grammar
components, vocabulary, coherence, strengths and weaknesses of the reading material. Students were asked to
predict, judge and analyze various issues in the reading material to test their improvement in two areas: one
comprehension and another in communicative ability)
Grouping (Students were divided into small groups, each group consisted of minimum five students)
The students were given simple tasks related to vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension questions to generate
confidence in them that they can learn and improve language skills through attentive reading and critical thinking. In
the beginning, there was no time restraint to perform the tasks but later instructions were given to complete the given
tasks in given time. This helped the students accelerate their thinking and responding quickly. By asking questions and
extracting answers, the students were encouraged to comprehend the text by themselves. This kind of learner-centered
teaching produced efficacious results because students were thrilled to realize the potential in them and in addition to
that, they manifested enthusiasm to participate to be highlighted before their classmates.
Sample Passage Prepared by the Researcher
MY FAMILY
It gives me an immense pleasure to tell you about my family. After seeing my family members you will
realize that my description of each of them is bang on. My father, being the head of the family has always been a
latter day Hitler and my mother is no less than the step ford wives in the scriptures. Either of my parents has
determination to keep their designation in our family. We, the eccentric children born to such parents, have not
inherited the dictatorship of my father or the submissive nature of my mother. Each of my siblings loves
identification as special individuals.
4.1 Objective
To help the students learn how to use each and either appropriately.
4.2 Procedure
They were asked to identify the sentences where each and either are used and the nouns and verbs used with
them
They were asked if they knew any other words of same type like each or either (using the term adjective while
referring to each or every was avoided to reduce the confusion of students. The researcher helped them in this
task)
Students were made to understand that singular verbs are used with each of, either of, neither of, none of with the
examples in the passage.
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Every man and every woman were encouraged to participate in freedom struggle.
Majority of the students did the exercises correctly. They were happy to realize that learning grammar was easier
through conscious reading than listening to grammar teaching.
Second Survey
It was designed to find out the difficulties of the students in reading.15 percentage of the students expressed that they
had a problem with different forms of words and their usage in communication. These students studied in schools
situated in their villages and were taught by the teachers who were not trained to teach English. 25% of the students
could efficiently use the language as they studied in public schools but they were void of comprehensive ability.
Classroom Performances
The researcher analyzed the problems and decided to plan classroom activities to enhance the reading ability of
students. The researcher planned communicative activity of reading in three steps.
Warm-up activity
Before the students started reading, they were divided into groups or made into pairs to make sure that everyone was
participating in the activity. The knowledge stored in their schema was put to use to find out the unknown knowledge
through these activities. Group discussions, debates, picture or map illustrations, error identification, demonstrations,
individual or group presentations, descriptions, assumptions, predictions, writers intentions regarding several issues in
his /her writing were organized to help the students open their minds and help one other in new acquisition of
knowledge.
On several occasions it happens that students feel free to share their feelings with their friends. They feel free to give
vent to their doubts to their peers. When the teacher encourages negotiations and discussions among the students the
objective of teaching will be achieved because this encouragement provides an access to students to enjoy a very joyful
share of knowledge. John Deweys (1916) inquiry-based philosophy of education conceptualized the learning as: As a
shared activity in which the teacher is a learner and the learner is, without knowing it, a teacher. There is no scope for
any chagrin to the educators when they detect the root cause for the animosity of student community for learning,
which is a consequence of students nil participation and teachers total participation. According to Rao (2002)
teachers may help their students understand the nature of language, the features of CLT, the functions of the class, the
role of the student and teacher. Students involvement in activities will fetch two fruitful results: one is good rapport is
developed between the teacher and the taught: another is; the rate of learning carries momentum.
The researcher took sufficient care in providing congenial ambience to learning in the classroom. Students had leeway
to move freely within the classroom to interact with their peers as long as the activity lasted. The activity was done with
a great spirit and enthusiasm. As against the atmosphere of the classroom where students sit with lassitude, this
classroom was chirpy with the active participation of every student; each trying to express something related to the
activity and getting rewards of appreciation in return.
The activity was planned by making the students into groups. While one group framed questions, another group
answered. The third group judged the correctness and the forth group negotiated regarding the judgment. Finally the
teacher had to give opinion about the acceptability or unacceptability of the students conclusions. Students felt
extremely happy to be generators, predictors, facilitators, and judges. The researcher also found the teacher hilarious in
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Students in each group had to go through the reading material, discuss with one another and finally prepare
two lists: a list of unfamiliar words, and a list of known words. (Duration of time for this activity was 10
minutes)
A student from each group stood up and read out the lists while other groups checked.(Duration of time for
this activity was 5 minutes)
In third stage, a student from each group had to explain the meaning of the word his/her group knew to other
groups by using it in a simple sentence. This helped each other in guessing the meaning through context. (If
the students made grammatical errors, either the researcher or the teacher helped them. Students did this
activity in 20 minutes).
Every student had involvement in this activity. They learned how to derive the meanings from usage. Finally the
teacher or the researcher helped them understand the remaining vocabulary: some by giving the meanings directly and
some by providing examples which helped them predict the meanings. The students enjoyed this activity very much.
They felt proud to have played the role of their teacher to give exercises to their friends to teach vocabulary. The
activity produced amazing outputs.
Predictive Reading Activity
This activity was done to improve comprehension. Students were divided into groups. They were given handouts of the
reading material. The task was; they had to read the passage in limited time and later discuss with their teammates to
arrive to a conclusion. Afterwards the leader of one team read out their conclusion and mentioned their reasons for their
predictions. All other teams listened to them and compared them with their predictions. If they found their predictions
different, they pointed out with cogent arguments. This was how the whole class was involved in the activity. At the
end, everybody had a feeling that they had new enlightenment. They stated that they learned to analyze the problem
from different angles.
Jigsaw Reading Activity
A.
Students were given a paragraph of a reading material. They had to read that paragraph and predict the previous
and following of the paragraph. They did this activity in groups. After some time one person from one group read
out the main ideas of the paragraph and other groups noted them. Likewise all groups prepared main ideas and
predictions. At the end they encapsulated their points for global understanding.
B.
Students were divided into groups. This was done by taking one student from each of the existing groups. The new
groups consisted of the students who were earlier in other groups. Students were amused with the change and
worked happily with new friends. They discussed their points with their teammates and arranged them in logical
order maintaining coherence among sentences. Later one student from a group read out their performance to other
groups. If any group had contrast opinions they felt free to express.
Follow-Up Activity
After these reading activities teachers asked questions to students to get their feedback. Group discussions and personal
interviews were conducted in order to confirm that all students actually participated in the activities using language to
improve their communication in English.
5. Outcomes of the Study
The following outcomes reveal the best advantages and benefits of implementing communicative approach.
After dealing with students for six months through teaching and conducting activities, final examination was taken for
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two contrastive groups (group of Traditional Method-T and group of Communicative Approach-C. Each group
consisted of 100 participants). The students were tested in listening, reading, grammar, and vocabulary. Grammar
exercises were given from the topics they studied in their syllabus (Reported Speech, Passivization, Degrees of
Comparison, Synthesis and Analysis of Sentences, Sentences Errors) students were made to speak on various issues to
test their spoken ability and vocabulary questions consisted of antonyms, synonyms, one word substitutes and phrasal
verbs. Some of these were taken from their text and some other questions were general. Questions framed for listening
and reading were same for both groups.
5.1 Data Analysis
Table 1: Data Analysis of the Study
Activity
Max marks
C1
C2
C3
C4
AVERAGE
50
41.58
38.83
40.83
38.65
39.97
15
10.85
10.64
10.84
10.58
10.73
20
19.42
17.64
19.73
18.65
18.86
20
19.58
16.98
18.74
18.44
18.43
20
18.45
19.42
17.61
18.22
18.42
T1
T2
T3
T4
AVERAGE
Activity
Max Marks
50
28.94
32.45
29.04
22.85
28.32
15
8.51
8.22
9.02
6.47
8.05
20
14.01
11.58
15.76
10.95
13.07
20
16.23
15.64
12.06
12.84
14.19
20
11.21
10.98
14.01
13.72
12.48
R=READING
L=LISTENING
S=SPEAKING
V=VOCABULARY
G=GRAMMAR
The table exhibits the performance of students in five areas of language: listening, reading, speaking, vocabulary, and
grammar. According to the results it was realized that students of C group showed better performance than students of
T group. So it provides evidence to believe that communicative approach will improve language ability of students and
help them expand their field of thinking.
5.2 Feed Backs
5.2.1 Feedback Taken By the Researcher
At the end of the research the students were asked to describe their experiences during the experimentation. It was the
unanimous opinion of the students that they found learning really a joyful activity as it was centered on them. They
were bold to state that they were bored of the traditional method of teaching that insisted upon them to listen and
reproduce.
5.2.2 Feedback Taken By College Management and Other Experienced Teachers
On the request of the researcher, the managements and other teachers of the selected colleges interacted with students
to find out their opinions regarding the new approach. On hearing their comments, the researcher concluded that
students were ready to welcome a new strategy in teaching that would provide them a multitude of optimum
opportunities to brighten their knowledge and power to communicate in English Language. Almost all teachers except
a few aged ones were in favour of the communicative approach in reading. They supported the approach because it
would fetch them great contentment that students language abilities were developed through this approach to the
maximum extent and the objectives of teaching would be achieved.
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6. Discussion
The outcomes of the study confirm the appropriateness of the above three hypotheses.
According to the opinion of the majority of the students, Communicative Approach was successful in producing
positive learning effects. Very few students, who were introvert in nature and suffered inferiority complex, were
against the approach. They encountered difficulties caused by communicative activities. The other reason they said
why they were reluctant to follow the approach was, many examinations were grammar based, and the scope to learn
grammar and vocabulary through this approach was very thin. Although students worry about grammar-based exams,
CLT does not mean only speaking and does involve grammar functioning. (Thomson, 1996) They said classroom
decorum was spoiled because of noise and uncontrolled movements of students. They revealed more confidence in
teachers than in their peers. After eight months, in the end examination, they showed rewarding performance. This
proved that Communicative Approach would never fail to help students acquiring knowledge of grammar and
vocabulary in addition to comprehension.
7. Conclusion
The acquisition of knowledge is possible only when the students practice language in different contexts. Frequent
exposure to language usage will reduce students anxiety to efficiently handle the language. Li (2003) asserts that
judging from the feedback from students and the results of examinations, communicative approach was advantageous
and favourable, and it aroused their interest in English learning and developing their learner autonomy.
Communicative Approach is aimed at making the students leading lights in teaching-learning process. The advantages
of this approach are noticeable. As the approach is to involve every student in the activities, its success in producing
favourable results is maximum. It proves its superiority over Traditional Method through the results of students in the
end examination. It is the most successful approach in inculcating in students an interest for learning English language.
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