Exploratory task 3.2

Do these activities help replicate authentic communication in the classroom? If, “yes, what makes the classroom communication “authentic” in each case?

Communicative techniques

A technique is a way for a teacher to organize a learner activity. The purpose of communicative techniques is to teach communication (After Littlewood, W. 1981. Communicative Language Teaching. CUP).

Communicative techniques can develop in learners productive, receptive and interactive skills that are necessary for effective communication. Activities with listening and reading aim at developing in learners skills of receiving information. Activities with speaking and writing develop in learners skills of producing information. Both can be learner interactive and thus promote communication.

Communicative techniques fall down into a number of groups:

A. Language arts are oriented towards a communicative task but are not “communicative” in themselves.

B. Language for a purpose is what the learners might need to learn how to request information, how to change somebody’s behavior or train of thought, how to co-ordinate efforts in a team, how to express one’s emotions etc.

C. Communicative games can be alternative communicative techniques with a challenge, rules, procedure and winners.

D. Personal language use develops in learners the skill of expressing one's own attitudes and values.

E. Theatre art develops communicative skills in simulations such as role-plays.

F. Debating society teaches problem-solving skills.

G. Beyond the classroom activities imply contacts with the native speakers and using the mass media available to the learners and relevant to their level of language studies (Adapted from Savignon, S. cited in Berns, M. 1990. Contexts of Competence. Social and Cultural Considerations in Communicative Language Teaching. N.Y. P. 88-89)

Date: 2015-01-02; view: 915