Abstract
- 109 - SUMMARY Changes in language teaching Methods throughout history have reflected recognition of changes. More successful classroom practices, better programs and materials for language teaching methods have been used, namely the Grammar- translation Method, the Direct Method, the Audio-lingual Method, and the Cognitive Code Theory. These methods focused on linguistic or grammatical competence. They assumed that once grammatical competence is acquired in reasonable measure, the communicative abilities would follow as a more or less automatic consequence. All of these methods intend to produce 'speakers' of the language, and the most active person in the classroom is the teaches. However, the acquisition of linguistic skills does not seem to guarantee the consequent acquisition öf communicative abilities in language. On the contrary, it has been observed that over - emphasis of drills and reception of sentences tends to inhibit the development of communicative abilities. Structural syllabuses reflect a more traditional approach. The essential objective of a structural syllabus seems to be the skill of manipulating language forms, with little concern for the functional meaning that these forms can be used to express. A structural syllabus provides the linguistic knowledge but ignores other physical and social components of the natural interaction. Consequently, these kinds- 110 - of syllabusses lead learners to acquire the ability to repeat utterances with complete accurancy without necessarily being certain of the meaning of what they are saying. Learning to use a language involves more than acquiring vocabulary and grammar. It involves the competence to suit the language to the situation, the participant and basic purposes. In other words, the ability to compose grammatically correct sentences is not the only ability we need to communicate, because communication takes place when we make use of sentences to perform a variety of different speech acts in social communicative situations. Taking this into consideration, the European Council has established a frame work for language learner based upon the needs of the learner and linguistic operations required of him in order to function effectively as a member of the language community. The studies of Wilkins on notional syllabusses made an important contribution to the preparation of language curricula based on the 'communicative1 principles. The basis for Communicative Language Teaching is the Austin/Searle concept of the Speech Act Theory which has to do with the functions and uses of language. These are the acts that are performed through speaking, like requesting, apologizing, compleining, ordering, making suggestions and giving advice. A notional syllabus organizes language interms of context, not form. It also takes the communicative facts of the language into account without losing sight of the grammatical factors. It includes the most important grammar forms and covers a wide range of functions.- 111 - The Communicative Language Teaching focuses on the ability to understand and convey information in context. The role of the student becomes active and interactive, not passive and isolated as in the previous teaching methods. Emphasis is on the ability to use the language in an appropriate way. The shift to the Communicative Approach has led to a different classroom methodology. The teacher-to-class approach is no longer valid because it is not competable with the Communicative Language Teaching. Instead of the teacher, coping with the whole class on her own, guided activities like pair-work in which two students communicate with one another or group work, in which a group of students try to accomplish a communicative task are used in the classroom. Also games, interviews, and other activities with communication gaps are used extensively. This inevitably leads a change on the role of the teacher. She is no longer the authority who pre-determines what is to be taught, but a guide who helps students to cope with the teaching/learning material is question. Consequently, with the Communicative Approach language is not only considered in terms of its structure, but also interms of the communicative functions it performs. The aim is that the students should be able to communicate efficiently with the parts of the language they have mastered.
