CC BY
1259TEACHER'S AND LEARNER'S ROLES IN CLT (COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING) Yakubova S.M.
Yakubova Sayyora Ma 'dievna - Senior Teacher of English, DEPARTMENT OF TEACHING LANGUAGES, MANAGEMENT IN PRODUCTION FACULTY, FERGANA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE, FERGANA, REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
Abstract: the article under discussion describes the roles of teachers and learners in CLT. The author of the article suggests different interesting techniques to improve the language competency and enhance motivation of the learners. Keywords: CLT, traditional, interactive, method, improve, competency, classroom, independent, interdependent, contribute, communicative, facilitate.
Communicative Language Teaching is a language teaching that starts from a communicative model of language and language use, and that seeks to translate this into a design for an instructional system, for materials, for teacher and learner roles and behaviors, and for classroom activities and techniques. Communicative language teaching makes use of real-life situations that necessitate communication. The teacher sets up a situation that students are likely to encounter in real life. Unlike the audiolingual method of language teaching, which relies on repetition and drills, the communicative approach can leave students in suspense as to the outcome of a class exercise, which will vary according to their reactions and responses. The real-life simulations change from day to day. Students' motivation to learn comes from their desire to communicate in meaningful ways about meaningful topics. Candlin describes the learner's role within CLT in the following terms: "The role of learner as negotiator - between the self, the learning, process, and the object of learning - emerges from and interacts with the role of joint negotiator within the group and within the classroom procedures and activities which the group undertakes. The implication for the
learner is that he should contribute as much as he gains, and thereby learn in an interdependent way" [1, p.p. 67-90].
CLT methodologists consequently recommended that learners learn to see that failed communication is a joint responsibility and not the fault of speaker or listener. Similarly, successful communication as an accomplishment jointly achieved and acknowledged. Several roles are assumed for teachers in Communicative Language Teaching, the importance of particular roles being determined by the view of CLT adopted. Candlin describes teacher roles in the following terms: "The teacher has two main roles: the first role is to facilitate the communication process between all participants in the classroom, and between these participants and various activities and texts. The second role is to act as an independent participant within the learning teaching group. It is closely related to the objectives of the first role and arises from it. These roles imply a set of secondary roles for the teacher; first, as an organizer of resources and as a resource himself, second as a guide within the classroom procedures and activities. A third role for the teacher is that of researcher and learner, with much to contribute in terms of appropriate knowledge and abilities, actual and observed experience of the nature of learning and organizational capacities. Other roles assumed for teachers are needs analyst, counselor, and group process manager" [1, p.p. 67-90].
The CLT teacher assumes a responsibility for determining and responding to learner language needs. This may be done informally and personally through one-to-one sessions with students, in which the teacher talks through such issues as the student's perception of his or her learning style, learning assets, and learning goals. It may be done formally through administering a needs assessment instrument, such as those exemplified in Green [2, p.p. 123-156] . Typically, such formal assessments contain items that attempt to determine an individual's motivation for studying the language. For example, students might respond on a 5 point scale (strongly agree to strongly disagree) to statements such as the following: I want to study English because....
• I think it will someday be useful in getting a good job.
• It will help me better understand English - speaking people and their way of life.
• One needs a good knowledge of English to gain other people's respect.
• It will allow me to meet and converse with interesting people.
• I need it for my job.
• It will enable me to think and behave like English-speaking people.
On the basis of such needs assessments, teachers are expected to plan group and individual instruction that responds to the learner's needs to work out specific CLT activities for learners. The most obvious characteristic CLT is that almost everything that is done is done with a communicative intent. Students use the language a great deal through communicative activities such as games, role plays, and problem - solving tasks (see discussion of these in the review of techniques).
Activities that are truly communicative, according to Holec, have three features in common: information gap, choice, and feedback. An information gap exists when one person in an exchange knows something the other person does not. If we both know today is Tuesday and I ask you, "What is today?" and you answer, "Tuesday", our exchange is not really communicative [3, p.p. 345-367].
Another peculiarity in successful teaching of a communicative speech is an activity where the students are put in the centre of the action, where they use the language and practice communicative speech. It is the project work, its purpose is to encourage the learners to work things out for themselves. It is an extended language activity, focusing on the topics, themes. The project work is a means of communication and enjoyment. The learners can experiment with the language as something real. It is a highly adaptable methodology, it is useful as a means of generating positive motivation, because it is very personal. The students tell about their own lives, their own research into topics that interest them. This work helps them to understand that they can use
English to talk about their own world, it improves their ability to think. Project work allows students to consolidate the language that they have learnt and encourages them to acquire new vocabulary and expressions. In addition, it gives learners integrated skills practice. Throughout project work students have extensive practice of the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Using projects with classes provides excellent opportunities for cross- curricular work. The topics should be carefully chosen and have to be presented in a lively and up-to-date manner. It is important to present a new project in an enthusiastic way and encourage the class activity in a discussion about the key topic. The more students are engaged in to a project, the more likely that the project will be a success. The teacher tries to encourage learners to think of their own ideas, to produce something new of their own. Before setting up a project it is essential to explain the final outcome, this will help them to understand what they are doing and why. The teacher explains the students that at the end of the project they will write or design a small leaflet on the topic, a wall display, a poster.
To conclude, project work is effective, interesting, entertaining and should be used at the lesson.
References
1. Candlin C.N. Communicative Language teaching and the debt to pragmatics. D.G.: Gergetown University Press, 1996. P.p. 67-90.
2. Green P. Communicative Language Testing: A Resource Book for Teacher Trainers. Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 1997. P.p. 123-156.
3. Holec H. Autonomy and Foreign Language Learning. Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 1990. P.p. 345-367.
