Communicative Language Games
ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this research was to examine the teachers’ perspectives in Henry Cort Community College on the use of communicative language games for teaching and learning English. The participants for this study were eight English teachers in the college. A survey using an 18-item questionnaire was designed in order to analyse the participants’ views on the use of communicative language games in English lessons. Results showed that English teachers from Henry Cort Community College generally appreciated the benefits and value of communicative game activities in teaching English language. The findings also suggested that teachers should be aware to take learners’ individual variations into account and be more flexible in the use of communicative game when facing students with different backgrounds, learning styles, needs and expectations in order to maximise the educational effect.
INTRODUCTION
The ever growing need for good communication skills in English has created a huge demand for an appropriate teaching methodology. Language teaching has seem many changes in ideas about syllabus design and methodology in the last 50 years and communicative language teaching (CLT) prompted a rethinking of approaches to syllabus design and methodology. According to Nunam (1989), traditional approaches to language teaching gave priority to grammatical competence as the basis of language proficiency. They were based on the belief that grammar could be learned through direct instruction and through a methodology that made much use repetitive practice and drilling.
Most researchers seem to agree that the new communicative approach to teaching prompted a rethinking of a classroom teaching methodology. Wright, Betteridge, and Buckby (2005) stated that learners learn a language through the process of communicating in it, and that meaningful communication provides a better opportunity for learning than through a grammar based approach. On top of that, Langeveldt
The main purpose of this research was to examine the teachers’ perspectives in Henry Cort Community College on the use of communicative language games for teaching and learning English. The participants for this study were eight English teachers in the college. A survey using an 18-item questionnaire was designed in order to analyse the participants’ views on the use of communicative language games in English lessons. Results showed that English teachers from Henry Cort Community College generally appreciated the benefits and value of communicative game activities in teaching English language. The findings also suggested that teachers should be aware to take learners’ individual variations into account and be more flexible in the use of communicative game when facing students with different backgrounds, learning styles, needs and expectations in order to maximise the educational effect.
INTRODUCTION
The ever growing need for good communication skills in English has created a huge demand for an appropriate teaching methodology. Language teaching has seem many changes in ideas about syllabus design and methodology in the last 50 years and communicative language teaching (CLT) prompted a rethinking of approaches to syllabus design and methodology. According to Nunam (1989), traditional approaches to language teaching gave priority to grammatical competence as the basis of language proficiency. They were based on the belief that grammar could be learned through direct instruction and through a methodology that made much use repetitive practice and drilling.
Most researchers seem to agree that the new communicative approach to teaching prompted a rethinking of a classroom teaching methodology. Wright, Betteridge, and Buckby (2005) stated that learners learn a language through the process of communicating in it, and that meaningful communication provides a better opportunity for learning than through a grammar based approach. On top of that, Langeveldt
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