COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING: TRANSFORMING FROM MEMORIZATION TO MEANINGFUL COMMUNICATIVE PRACTICE

Abstract

Language teaching practice has been utterly transformed regarding the planning, organization, and lesson delivery over the course of decades. Traditionally, language educators had a tendency to maintain authority and therefore language classes followed a teacher-centered approach. Language classes historically were characterized by fixed patterns in which language teachers delivered content to the learners whereas they assumed the role of passive information absorbers. Learners mostly positioned as silent receivers with limited opportunity to engage in communication. In the present context, however, language teaching requires more pedagogically sound methods and approaches to ensure that language learners are responsible for their language acquisition process and engaged in authentic communication. Given that language functions as a tool for communication, the primary objective of language learning is to empower learners to interact outside the language classroom. Accordingly, authenticity is given precedence in modern language classrooms, where tasks and activities are structured to reflect real-life communication and authentic language use. This paper scrutinizes the transition from traditional teacher-centered approach to Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), analyzing its influence on classroom communication and learner investment. The study reveals that implementing CLT stimulates both learners’ autonomy and interaction and authentic language use in the language classroom.