THERE ARE MANY WAYS to teach language. One is called Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). This method is learner-centered and emphasizes communication and real-life situations.

The role of the instructor in CLT is quite different from traditional teaching methods. In the traditional classroom, the teacher is in charge and "controls" the learning. In CLT the teacher serves as more of a facilitator, allowing students to be in charge of their own learning.

The teacher still sets up exercises and gives direction to the class, but the students do much more speaking than in a traditional classroom. This responsibility to participate can often lead to an increased sense of confidence in using the language. Putting the teacher in charge of everything in the traditional classroom has been compared to the Atlas Complex (Lee and Vanpatten, 1995). CLT relieves Atlas of his "burden."

Language is used for communication. For this reason, CLT makes use of communication to teach languages. Whereas traditional language teaching places a lot of emphasis on grammar rules and verb conjugations, CLT emphasizes real-life situations and communication in context (Galloway, 1993). While grammar is still important in the CLT classroom, the emphasis is on communicating a message.

In CLT, students practice real-life situations, for example, buying food at the market or asking someone for directions.

In these exercises, the goal is for the student to communicate his or her needs and thoughts, without worrying about having perfect grammar.

CLT also stresses social and situational contexts of communication. For example, in many languages, the form of "you" changes depending on the age and status of the two speakers. Addressing a person in the proper way can make a big difference in having a successful exchange, even if the verb tenses aren't right. 

Multimedia is an ideal way to teach language using CLT as the theory. It allows for realistic simulations of communicative situations. Many such programs are games, such as "A la rencontre de Philipe" or "Who is Oscar Lake?". They place the learner in a situation in which understanding basic communication, and social and cultural contexts are vital to advancing in the game.

Galloway, A. (1993). Communicative language teaching: an introduction and sample activities. [On-line]. Available: http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed357642.html

Suzanne Bacon ，Graduate Student ，SDSU Educational Technology