There are many different methods of learning English. One of them is a communicative technique. This is a long-established approach to teaching foreign languages to pupils and students in Europe and the USA.
The main goals of the communicative technique are language learning through practice, getting rid of fears and helping to overcome the language barrier.
What is the communicative teaching method
This technique appeared about 50 years ago in the UK. It was then that English received the status of an international language. The methods that existed at that time were far from ideal, and more and more people for whom English was a foreign language faced difficulties in learning. It was more important for the students to learn the language and quickly begin to put it into practice, and in fact the training was aimed at systematizing and in-depth study of grammatical features. People whose goal was to study for further communication did not receive the necessary knowledge, had poor command of spoken language andknew nothing about verbal etiquette. This is how the communicative method of learning English began to emerge. Her goal was to teach people to fully communicate in real life.
The essence of the method is that fictional texts, which are completely far from reality, replace the dialogues from everyday life. The students are fully engaged in the dialogue. For example, they do not talk about themselves according to the scheme: "My name is Petya. I am from Tver. I am a student," but build a dialogue and ask each other questions, acting out a scene of acquaintance.
In the first lessons, topics that are familiar and interesting to everyone are chosen for discussion, so that students develop the ability to use the language spontaneously.
The main difference between the communicative methodology is that there is no specific lesson plan. It all depends on the questions and answers asked by the students and the simulated situations. Each next lesson is a discussion of new topics and exercises. This allows you to fully develop the capabilities of students and conduct lessons so that they do not get bored.
The main goal of the communicative approach
The communicative teaching method aims to ensure that students can freely communicate in English live, without fear and fear of being misunderstood. A person trained according to this technique will be able to find a common language with foreigners in an English-speaking country, having mastered a standard set of phrases and knowing up to 1000 words.
However, students of this technique need to go deeper into the study and not drop out of school after a few months. Otherwise possible grammaticalMistakes and cliched phrases will make it impossible to pass for a smart and interesting conversationalist.
Features of the method
According to some sources, this technique is most suitable for those who already have some knowledge in this area, for example, schoolchildren, students who have attended basic courses. But besides this, the main principles of the communicative method of teaching English help:
- overcome the language barrier, because the goal of the approach is to teach the student to communicate without hesitation - the lion's share of classes is devoted to the practice of communication;
- start speaking English after the first lesson - after the first lesson, the student's vocabulary will be replenished with at least 20 phrases that can be actively used in conversations;
- master fluent speech - in the classroom, the skill of communicating in English is developed as quickly and skillfully as in the native language;
- develop understanding of the language - since in the process of learning a person not only speaks, but also listens, the skill of listening to the language develops;
- quickly replenish vocabulary - learning technology is built in such a way that people can quickly learn the language and begin to speak it fluently, in the first months of study, the student masters about 60% of the vocabulary of the average Englishman;
- do not get bored in the classroom - after all, the lesson takes the form of interesting activities: live communication, educational games, mutual assistance;
- save is a popular learning system used in many language centers, plus no needbuy expensive textbooks.
Who is this method suitable for?
The communicative approach in teaching foreign languages has its own characteristics, so it may not be suitable for every student, it all depends on the goals and objectives set for learning. This is the best way to learn a language for:
- People who want to improve their speaking skills. This technique helps to overcome the fear of mistakes, and constant conversations in English help to hone pronunciation and learn the rules necessary for the correct construction of sentences.
- Those who want to be able to maintain a conversation at an acceptable level. During the training, the English teacher gives his students the opportunity to conduct dialogues on numerous interesting topics. Therefore, having met a native English speaker, you can easily start and maintain a conversation with him on most popular topics.
- Wishing to improve the level of understanding of speech. This is a very important skill - listening to the language, thanks to this you can become a full-fledged interlocutor (after all, listening is no less important than speaking), as well as watching films and programs in English.
- Those who care about learning to speak English beautifully and correctly. Often, beautiful speech adds confidence, and this contributes to a positive reaction of the interlocutor. Lack of accent is the key to good dialogue.
- Those who are tired of boring lessons in classes based on the communicative method of teaching English, the tasks are always interesting.
It is acceptable to study using this method from scratch, however, for those who havesome knowledge base of the language, learning will be easier.
Communicative technique helps to learn fluent speech - this is a very common requirement from foreign employers. Regular practice of speech will help to master this skill.
First of all, learning through communication is created for those who care about the practical part and, as a result, the ability to talk without hesitation with foreigners. But for the successful passing of most Russian exams and tests, this knowledge will not be enough.
Basic principles of the work program
In classes based on the communicative method of teaching English, the work program consists of many tasks aimed at solving practical problems: for example, it can be ordering food in a restaurant, buying a ticket at the station, visiting a doctor or choosing travel destinations.
There are two types of such tasks:
- Solve functional communication problems: compare images and find differences, put events in the right order, fill in gaps on cards and pictures, follow directions, and solve problems.
- Improve social communication skills: live communication, dialogue building, impromptu skits, role plays and debates.
How the classes go
The main goal of the work program of the communicative method of teaching English is to teach the student to live communication. To achieve this, the student must memorize the necessary grammatical constructions and master the average vocabulary. To do this, the lesson plan isfrom several modules:
- Presentation of a grammatical structure. Students are given the opportunity to read or listen to the text with the material being studied and answer questions related to it.
- Work with the studied material. Students find the correct grammatical structure in the text. With the help of a teacher or mentor, a rule is formed for its use in the language.
- Teacher-supervised practice: doing written work using construction. For example, test questions or filling in gaps in sentences.
- Limited practice with construction - communication with the teacher.
- Free practice: pair or group tasks - dialogues with each other, simulation of life situations.
Modern realities: language lessons via Skype
With the development of technology, learning becomes more accessible to anyone with the Internet. You no longer need personal meetings with an English teacher. You can successfully study remotely - using Skype. Moreover, the effectiveness of such classes is no worse than with personal presence.
The number of students in one group has no strict limits. All participants connect to the lesson via videoconference and the lesson follows the same principle as classes in the classroom. The only caveat - the quality of the image and sound should be at the highest level.
Function of the teacher
In the communicative teaching methodologyThe role of the teacher in English is significantly different from other approaches. Here he does not act as a strict caretaker, but performs several important functions:
- analyzes existing knowledge and needs of each student individually;
- helps the student to replenish his stock of language resources;
- divides students into groups and monitors their performance;
- gives advice and helps solve student problems in English;
- controls the student and the language being studied, but without any framework and restrictions, only where necessary.
Communicative method of teaching English at school
This technique has been successfully used not only in teaching adults, but also children of both preschool and school age. The communicative method of teaching English for children is the development of oral communication, writing, reading and listening comprehension skills. The topics studied in the lessons are chosen based on the interests of the child: discussion of the family, school, weather, hobbies, games.
At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher explains the grammar rules and complex topics in Russian, and then the students are divided into pairs and conduct dialogues already in English.
In elementary school, teaching in this way takes place by immersion in the culture of English-speaking countries. Students improve communication skills and learn the specifics of English life. The task of the teacher is to keep students motivated to learn the language.
Do I need textbooks
Usually witha teacher in groups using a communicative method of teaching English, textbooks are used by students to a minimum. After all, the main basis of the program is communication. It is usually the teacher himself or the organization that controls the educational process in a particular school that chooses the educational material.
Students in the classroom often need a workbook than the textbook itself. But for a more in-depth study of English or self-study using a communicative method, you can use some of the teaching aids designed for this.
The best textbooks for learning English using a communicative method are equipped with colorful illustrations, they contain a lot of useful and interesting information about the culture and customs of people from different countries. Here are some of them:
- Longman, New Cutting Age is a 6-level tutorial where each level consists of 15 blocks. There are a lot of tasks for practicing communication skills. Each block has a section called Real Life, here are examples of various situations from real life and a set of phrases for their discussion.
- Express Publishing, Enterprise - consists of a textbook, a workbook and a separate grammar block. The structure of learning for this manual is as follows: first, an introduction to the topic, then reading, after which repetition and study of new words takes place in the vocabulary block. Here much attention is paid to the study of grammatical foundations and lexical constructions.
- Longman, New Total English - also consists of a workbook and the textbook itself. Plus, this course comes with a DVD,which recorded footage for each new block.
- Oxford, New English File is a textbook created for those who want to learn English for themselves. It has exercises to develop many skills. It also comes with a good dictionary at the end of the book.
- Oxford, New Hotline - course for teenagers. Each block is a new photo episode that tells about the life of British teenagers, which is accompanied by new phrases and grammar rules. This is an interesting educational material that introduces young people to the culture and social phenomena of Great Britain. However, not much attention is paid to grammar here, so this textbook is best used in combination with another manual.
This is not a complete list of textbooks, but these manuals received the highest rating among students and teachers.
Feedback on learning English with communication techniques
Reviews about the communicative method of teaching English are mostly positive. If you understand that the goal of this approach is to teach the student to speak well and without hesitation with foreigners, to be able to keep up the conversation on the main topics. Thus, a person who has successfully completed a training course using this technique will be able to easily start a conversation with an Englishman, will know the nuances of the culture and customs of English-speaking countries and will not get into an awkward situation while being within them.
Due to the fact that the study is step-by-step, students do not experience difficulties moving from one block to another. Move on to the next stage onlyfully de alt with the previous one. This is monitored by the teacher, assessing the degree of preparation of each student individually.
However, this system also has disadvantages. It is not suitable for those who want to learn complex grammatical structures and generally delve into the field of grammar. After all, most of the lesson is devoted to conversations.
What results and for how long can be achieved
In a relatively short time - about 3 months of the communicative method of teaching English - the results can be quite significant.
Understanding develops. A person will be able to understand foreign speech not only in situations familiar to him, but also to react and behave correctly in new ones. Speaking skills improve, and a person masters the articulatory base of the English language, i.e. his pronunciation improves, he can pick up the right intonation, and the accent will become almost invisible.
Grammar foundations and constructions that are important for communication also become available and no longer terrify when communicating. You can safely enter into a dialogue with foreigners to solve everyday problems and simple communication. And at the same time, do not be afraid to look stupid or say something wrong, the knowledge gained during the training will be enough to deserve the title of an interesting conversationalist.
Despite the fact that this technique was used in Russia only in the 90s, teachers have already managed to accumulate solid practice. Plus, every year the methodology is improved, and teachers find new approaches to their students. You can saythat the communicative method has no serious competitors in teaching spoken language.
You can learn the old way - from textbooks and audiobooks. But only live communication can teach a person to speak English beautifully. To find out if this method is suitable for teaching a particular person, you can only try and make sure of its effectiveness.
