Communicative Approach (discussion)

What are the goals of teachers who use communicative language teaching (CLT)?
answer : The goal is to enable students to communicate in the target language. To do this students need knowledge of the linguistics forms, meanings, and functions. They need to know that many different forms can be used to perform a function and also that a single form can often serve a variety of functions. They must be able to choose from among these the most appropriate form, given the social context and the roles of the instructors. They must also be able to manage the process of negotiating meaning with their interlocutors. Communication is a process; knowledge of the forms of language is insufficient.
What is the role of the teacher? what is the role of the students?
answer : The teacher facilitates communication in the classroom. In this role, one of his major responsibilities is to establish situations likely to promote communication. During the activities he acts as an adviser, answering students questions and monitoring their performance. He might make note of their errors to be worked on at a later time during more accuracy-based activities. At other times he might be a 'communicator' engaging in the communicative activity along with students.