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THE ESSENCE OF CLT OF TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Saveleva A
a four-year student, USWLU
Tel.: +998335190501
Abstract:
In the ever-evolving landscape of language education, various teaching methods have
come and gone, each attempting to address the challenges and nuances of learning a new
language. One of the most significant and widely adopted approaches is Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT). Emerging in the 1970s, CLT revolutionized the way foreign
languages were taught by shifting the focus from traditional grammar-based instruction to an
emphasis on communication and real-world language use. This shift reflects a fundamental
change in how language learning is viewed, with CLT prioritizing fluency over mere accuracy
and emphasizing functional language use. This article explores the essence of CLT, its principles,
key features, and how it has shaped modern foreign language teaching. By understanding the
core concepts of CLT, educators can better appreciate its potential to improve language learners’
communicative competence and overall language proficiency.
Key words:
CLT, communicative competence, real-life conversation, fluency, discussion,
discussions, brainstorming, speech activity.
Speaking as one of the types of human activity has all the psychological and
psychophysiological characteristics of activity, being only one of the ways to implement speech
activity. Thus, speaking in the psychological process of speech activity is a way of expressing
thoughts by means of language, so oral speech activity has special psychological and
psychophysiological mechanisms for turning thoughts into utterances. (M.P. Breen 1980)
Interpretation based learning, when is the oral introductory course and further observed quite a
large gap between oral and written language in respect of digestible material, the role of oral
language (which follows from the name of a verbal base) is extremely high: it is used as a
learning tool when reading the study material and training, as well as a means of communication
in the implementation of the method of application. (J.W. Creswell 2003) When working with
the material being studied, the teacher uses all methods: familiarization, training, and application
without visual reinforcement in the form of printed (written) text, i.e. without reference to
reading and writing.
However, these methods for specific material are not always used vertically in the lesson mode.
Usually, the learning of the material is carried out in several lessons, in the mode of different
lessons, as if horizontally. For example, in one lesson, students are introduced to a new structural
group. The teacher, using certain methodological techniques, introduces a structural group only
for listening and determines whether the students understood or did not understand the material
being introduced. In case of insufficient understanding, the procedure is repeated. In the second
lesson, the teacher returns to this structural group, and the students not only perceive it by ear,
but also train in reproducing this structural group in a given lexical content. Students perform
speech exercises: they name objects or actions, ask different types of questions in connection
with communication situations and answer them. In other words, students apply the acquired
skills in listening, their own statements and conversation. The educational material acquired
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 02,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 1387
through oral speech and for use in oral speech is then included in written speech, i.e., in the
written language. reading and writing, when using methods of familiarization (with the graphic
form of words and the graphical representation of sentences of a structural group) and training in
reading and writing them, so that the learned material can be used for independent reading and
writing.
Key Features of CLT
Several key features distinguish CLT from traditional language teaching methods. These features
reflect its focus on communication, meaning, and the functional use of language. Some of the
most notable features include:
1.
Real-Life Communication
: One of the defining characteristics of CLT is its emphasis
on real-life communication. Language learners engage in activities that mirror the kind of
communication they are likely to encounter outside the classroom, whether in social interactions,
workplace settings, or travel experiences.
2.
Authentic Materials
: In CLT classrooms, authentic materials such as newspapers,
videos, audio recordings, and even social media posts are regularly used. These materials
provide learners with exposure to real-world language and the opportunity to learn how language
functions in different social and cultural contexts.
3.
Role-plays and Simulations
: Role-playing activities are a staple of CLT. These
activities allow students to take on different roles and engage in simulated interactions that
mirror real-life situations. For instance, students might role-play a job interview, a customer-
service interaction, or a discussion about cultural differences.
4.
Collaborative Learning
: In CLT classrooms, group work and pair work are commonly
used to promote communication among learners. Collaborative tasks encourage students to
practice their language skills in a supportive, interactive environment, where they can negotiate
meaning, clarify doubts, and help each other learn.
5.
Focus on Functional Language
: CLT emphasizes the learning of language that is
functionally useful for communication, such as asking for directions, making requests, giving
opinions, and agreeing or disagreeing. These functional language skills are prioritized over the
memorization of isolated grammar rules or vocabulary lists.
6.
Emphasis on Fluency
: Rather than focusing solely on the accuracy of language
production, CLT places a strong emphasis on fluency. Activities designed to improve fluency
often involve timed conversations, debates, or discussions where learners can practice speaking
without constantly worrying about making grammatical errors.
Speaking is one of the main types of speech activity, which has a number of characteristics that
are directly relevant to a person. It is as inherent as any other kind of human activity. Speaking is
a way of expressing thoughts by means of language. The main problem with learning to speak is
that initially there is a problem in the design of the oral message due to the fact that it is an
intermediate stage between the thought and the oral message itself. It is necessary to develop
appropriate speech skills.
Speaking as clarified by P.H. Hiep, (2007) can be approached as a goal and as a means of
learning. In the first case, it acts as a means of communication, transmission of information, etc.
This is what a foreign language is taught for. In the second, with the help of oral speech, the
development of automatism in the reproduction and transformation of the assimilated material is
carried out.
In modern methods of teaching foreign languages, speaking is used as a means of teaching,
thereby allowing students to engage in speech communication from the very beginning of
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 02,2025
Journal:
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page 1388
learning a foreign language. It is used when getting acquainted with new educational material,
when training and implementing the application method. Oral training exercises give students the
opportunity to apply the material they learn in speech and make reading and writing easier.
Clarified by E. I. Passov (1991), speaking has always been considered as the most popular type
of speech activity. For many students, this is a basic skill. Speaking skills, like any other skills,
are not formed by themselves; for their formation, it is necessary to use special exercises and
tasks that are designed to eventually form and polish the ability to navigate in natural
communication situations. Another field is lingo-didactics that studies the process of learning
and teaching a language from a theoretical and practical perspective, located at the intersection
of linguistics and pedagogy. Lingo didactics is aimed at developing methods and technologies
for effective language teaching to students, covering not only the language system, but also the
principles, methods and tools for organizing the learning process
Concluding the article I would like to emphasize that the essence of communicative language
teaching lies in its commitment to helping students use language effectively in real-world
situations. By focusing on communication, interaction, and functional language use, CLT offers
a dynamic and engaging way for learners to develop their language skills. While challenges exist
in implementing CLT, its many benefits—such as increased learner motivation, improved
communicative competence, and enhanced fluency—make it a powerful approach to foreign
language teaching. As the global demand for proficient language users continues to grow, CLT
remains an essential methodology for educators seeking to equip students with the tools they
need to communicate confidently and effectively in a multilingual world.
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3. Hiep, P. H. (2007). Communicative language teaching; unity within diversity. ELT Journal
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