Communicative Approach In English Language Teaching: A Case Study Of .

Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International JournalImpact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com;Vol.8.Issue 4. 2020(Oct-Dec)Email:editorrjelal@gmail.com ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)second language in the schools of Manipur. Thestudy will also examine the implementation andeffectiveness of the communicative approach inteaching English as a second language in the contextof Manipur.COMMUNICATIVE APPROACHThe Communicative Approach in languageteaching starts from a theory of language asCommunication. The exponents of this approach feltthat since language is essentially a tool forcommunication, the learning of various codes shouldbe abandoned and the learners should beencouraged to engage in communicative activities.The Communicative Approach is based on the ideathat learning language successfully comes throughcommunication in real situation. When learners areinvolved in real communication, their naturalstrategies for language acquisition will be used, andthis will allow them to learn how to use thelanguage. The Communicative Approach to foreignand second language learning developed in bothEurope and North America in 1970-80’s by layingemphasis on the works of anthropologists,sociologists and sociolinguists. The movement beganas a largely British innovation, focusing onalternative conceptions of a syllabus. Since the mid1970s the scope of Communicative LanguageTeaching has expanded. The proponents believedthat communicative proficiency is more importantthan mere mastery of structures. They also paidsystematic attention to functional as well asstructural aspects of language. During the 1970’s,British applied linguists like Widdowson, Firth,Halliday and others explored the most fundamentaldimension of language namely the function andcommunicative potential of language. As observedby Halliday, Communicative Approach to languageteaching aims at developing the communicativecompetence of the learners which would include thelearners acquiring the knowledge of communicativefunctions of the language and the linguistic means toperform the different kinds of functions. Halliday(1975) also points outseven basic languagefunctions:1.127The Instrumental Function: the function oflanguage is to get things;2.3.4.5.6.7.The Regulatory Function: the function oflanguage is to control the behaviour ofothers;The Instrumental Function: the function oflanguage is to express interaction withothers;The Personal Function: the function oflanguage is to express personal feelings andmeanings;The Heuristic Function: the function oflanguage is to learn and discover;The Imaginative Function: the function oflanguage is to create a world of theimagination; andThe Representational Function: the functionof language is to communicate.Communicative Approach is an approach andnot a method that aims to (i) make communicativecompetence the goal of language teaching and (ii)develop procedures for the teaching of the e of language and communication. Itis not restricted to grammatical or linguisticcompetence but focuses on all the components ofthe communicative competence of the learner. Theproponents of Communicative Approach are also ofthe view that language learning is essentiallylearning to communicate in the target language andthat selection of instructional materials should bebased on a systematic analysis of the learners needfor the target language. In this approach, interactionis emphasised as both the means and the ultimategoal of learning a language. If a learner has only theknowledge of language rules and forms, then thelearner is said to have ‘linguistic-competence’ and ifthe learner also has the knowledge that enables himto communicate functionally and interactively thenthe learner is said to have ‘communicativecompetence’. According to socio-linguist Dell Hymes,who coined the term ‘communicative competence’in 1966 in reaction to Naom Chomsky’s notion of“linguistic competence”, the purpose of teachinglanguage is not only to master the inherentgrammatical competence but also to develop theability to use grammatical competence in a variety ofcommunicative situations. It is an ability not only toapply grammatical rules of a language in order toKSHETRIMAYUM VIJAYALAKSHMI DEVI, Dr. RAJKUMARI ASHALATA DEVI

Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International JournalImpact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com;Vol.8.Issue 4. 2020(Oct-Dec)Email:editorrjelal@gmail.com ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)form grammatically correct sentences but also toknow when and where to use these sentences andto whom. In fact, Dell Hymes brings in thesociolinguistic perspective into Chomsky’s linguisticview of competence.MAIN FEATURES OF COMMUNICATIVE APPROACHThe main featuresapproach are as follows:1.2.3.4.5.6.ofCommunicativeIt is primarily an oral approach.It is a learner-centered approach in whichstudents are encouraged to interact freely witheach other through dialogue, conversation,discussion, role-play etc.The teacher’s role is to facilitate thecommunication process between all thelearners in the classroom and to help thelearners to discover the rules underlying thefunctional expression or structure, its forms inspeech and writing. The teacher should alsocreate meaningful and authentic situations todemonstrate or illustrate the the rulesunderlying the functional expression orstructure.It is a task-based approach in which the learnersactively participate in the teaching learningprocess. In this approach, the students aremade to engage in such communicativeactivities as information sharing, negotiating ofmeaningandinteraction.Functionalcommunication activities include such tasks ascomparison of sets of pictures or drawings andidentifying similarities and differences, workingout chain of events, finding missing features in apicture, giving instructions, following directions,solving problems from shared clues, identifyingand describing things, shapes and sizes,moments, situations etc.In this approach, selection and grading oflanguage items are done on the basis oflearner’s needs. The teacher identifies whatlanguage items the learners need to know inorder to get things done, unlike otherapproaches which focus on linguistic activities.Communicative competence is considered asthe desired goal. Hence, genuine everydaylanguage is emphasised.1287.8.The role of mother tongue has been minimisedas both the teacher and the students use thetargetlanguageduringtheentirecommunicative activities. However, judicioususe of mother tongue is accepted.Errors are seen as a natural outcome of thedevelopment of communicative skills and hencetolerated. Accuracy is judged depending on thecontext and fluency in speaking is demanded orencouraged.CURRICULUM OF ENGLISH IN THE SECONDARYSCHOOLS OF MANIPURThe Curriculum of English of class Xprescribed by the Board of Secondary EducationManipur comprises of three text books: (i) EnglishLiterature Reader, (ii)English Course Book and (iii)Grammar & Composition of Contemporary English tocater to the learner’s interest and his/hercommunicative needs. The Board of SecondaryEducation, Manipur has prepared, structured andwritten the two text-books under the guidelines ofNational Curriculum Framework 2005.(i) English Literature ReaderThe English Literature Reader focuses on thedevelopment of the ability to understand theunderlying input and appreciate the literary pieces.The two sections deal with a variety of themes,styles and modes of narration representative ofBritish, American and Indian character. Each piececarries a glossary of difficult words/phrases and theexercises followed are designed to enhancecomprehension and also develop the analytical andcreative abilities of the learners. The exercises callfor not only individual work but also for pair workand group discussion through which the interactiveskills can be developed. The text book is divided intotwo sections, namely Prose section and Poetrysection. Both the Prose section and Poetry sectioncontain seven lessons each.(A). Prose section: Each prose lesson contains thefollowing:1. Introduction2. Reading of the story3. About the Author4. Word NotesKSHETRIMAYUM VIJAYALAKSHMI DEVI, Dr. RAJKUMARI ASHALATA DEVI

Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International JournalImpact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com;Vol.8.Issue 4. 2020(Oct-Dec)Email:editorrjelal@gmail.com ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)5. Comprehension6. Think and Write7. Discuss8. Vocabulary9. Writing Practice10. Listening Practice(B). Poetry Section : In general, the lesson under thissection contains the following:1. Introduction2. Reading of the poem3. Word Notes4. About the poet5. About the poem6. Comprehension7. Appreciation*8. Discuss*9. Think and Write*10. Writing**- Out of the seven lessons, five lessons contain theappreciation and Discussion exercises while twolessons do not have it. Think and Write exercise ispresent in six lessons and only one lesson do nothave it. And Writing exercise can be seen in only onelesson.(ii) English Course Book :The English Course Book has been designedto develop the skills of writing and also to makethem aware of the rules of grammar. To enhancethe writing skills, focus is laid on letter writing, essaywriting, note-making etc. To develop interest in thelanguage, the foundations of grammar needed forhigher academic purposes are also dealt with. TheEnglish Course Book is divided into five units. Threeunits contain three sub-sections each and two unitscontain two sub-sections each. The reading inputhas been designed to develop a thinking processleading to make use of ideas in real life situations.The text has various themes such as Conservation ofOur Environment (Unit I- Environment), Sports (UnitII- Games and Sports), Exploration (Unit IIIAdventures), Renowned Personalities (Unit IVPersonalities) and Growing Industry (Unit VTourism).(iii) Grammar & Composition of ContemporaryEnglish:129The book is divided into two sectionsGrammar section and Composition section. Thegrammar section contains lessons on SentenceFormation, Active-Passive, Finite- Non-Finite, Degreeof Comparison, Articles, Preposition, Determinersetc. And the Composition section makes thestudents familiar with Letter Writing, Notice Writing,Note-Making and Essay writing etc.Problems and Ways to incorporate CommunicativeLanguage Teaching:The curriculum framed by the Board ofSecondary Education gives emphasis on all the fourlanguage skills- Listening, Speaking, Reading, andWriting. The curriculum tries to learn languagethrough literature. However, the problem seems tolie in the classroom activities. In Manipur SecondarySchools context, the overall settings seem to focuson passing the exam, thus leading to a teachingsetting which is particularly exam-centric. TheCommunicative Approach is hardly applied inpractice. Both the teacher and the students areengaged in the comprehension of the language inthe form of reading and writing. The teacher usuallywrites the answer on the blackboard and thestudents copy it down. Classes are engaged inQuestion- Answer exercises, Fill in the Blanksexercises and Choosing the Correct Options kind ofexercises only. Communicative interaction is hardlyseen in the classroom. Activities involving discussionand dialogue are usually skipped due to timeconstraints. In a practical view, it is not possible tofollow all exercises mentioned at the end of thelesson (Think and Write, Discuss, Vocabulary etc). Inthe case of teaching of English as a ForeignLanguage, the teacher has some freedom inselecting the literary text in relation to the needsand expectations of the learners. In Manipur, Englishis taught as a Second language and not as a foreignlanguage. Teachers have to focus on the curriculumframed by the Board and he/she has no authority inchoosing a literary text other than the lessonsprescribed in the syllabus. However, the teacher canselect the appropriate language teaching method,teaching techniques and classroom activities. Here,the role of the English teacher as a facilitator inadopting Communicative Approach in the classroomis highly emphasised. He/she should act as aKSHETRIMAYUM VIJAYALAKSHMI DEVI, Dr. RAJKUMARI ASHALATA DEVI

Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International JournalImpact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com;Vol.8.Issue 4. 2020(Oct-Dec)Email:editorrjelal@gmail.com ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)classroom manager and must aim to coordinate theactivities given at the end of each lesson so that theyform a coherent progression, leading towardsgreater communicative ability. The teacher shouldcreate a situation in the class where the studentscan engage in pairs or group and turn it into acommunicative interaction.(i) English Literature ReaderThe English Literature Reader has chapterswith specific themes and concepts which will enablethe teacher to make the classroom a communicativeone. The teacher should contrive situations for eachsection prescribed in the curriculum where thestudents can engage in the activities in order toimprove their communicative competence.Prose Section1.Short Stories:The themes and settings present in the shortstories captivate the imagination of the students andsometimes it leads to open- ended questions. Theopen-ended questions enable students to predictoutcomes, make comparisons and contrasts, anddraw conclusions. The teacher should make use ofthis open-ended discussion and make the classengaged in analysing the main idea and supportingdetails, including who, what, when, where, and how.For example, in the prose section, the sixth chapter“The Diamond Necklace” written by Guy-deMaupassant in the English Literature Readercontains comprehension part where there is aQuestion-Answer exercise. Instead of writing theanswer on the blackboard, the teacher can make thestudents engage in a communicative setting bypairing up or dividing the students into groups. Onegroup can play the role of asking the questions whileanother group can answer the questions. In this way,the teacher will be able to create a communicativeenvironment for the students so that they developtheir linguistic and communicative competence. Thesame chapter contains a ‘Discuss’ section after thetext. This section requires the class to engage indebate on the topic ‘In Life we should be contentwith what our life provides us. If we yearn for whatis beyond us we will fall on bad days”. Since130Communicative Approach focuses on authenticsettings and materials, the teacher can utilise thistopic to help the students in expressing their viewsregarding their lives. The teacher can divide the classinto two groups- one group supporting thestatement and the other group opposing thestatement. This will create an opportunity for thestudents to enhance their communicative skills byengaging themselves in the debate. It will alsofacilitate vocabulary enrichment.2. Drama:While teaching drama, the teacher can alsomake the class into a communicative one. Sincedrama is re-enactment of incidents and situations,students get the opportunity to expose to moremeaningful and realistic situations. The students canengage in role-play of the characters and engage inthe dialogues. They may be asked to enact aparticular scene in the class so that the teacher canassess if the desired aim of teaching English tocommunicate is achieved or not. With the help ofsuch communicative activities, the teacher also getsthe opportunity to correct mistakes and errors whilespeaking. At the same time, the pronunciation of thestudents can also be corrected. This will help thestudents improve their competence level withregard to their receptive and productive skills.3.Poetry section:Poetry makes students familiar with rhythm,rhyme, figures of speech like simile, metaphor,irony, personification, imagery etc. As a facilitator,the teacher may ask the students to recite the poemin the classroom and encourage them to read withproper stress and intonation. Such kind of activitieswill help the students in enhancing theircommunicative skills in the target language.(iv) English Course Book :The English Course book prescribed by theBoard contains varieties of subject matters withauthentic settings and materials from the historyand culture of Manipur. The chapters like ‘A trip toDzuko Valley’, ‘Sagol Kangjei, ‘Tourism in Manipur’KSHETRIMAYUM VIJAYALAKSHMI DEVI, Dr. RAJKUMARI ASHALATA DEVI

Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International JournalImpact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com;Vol.8.Issue 4. 2020(Oct-Dec)Email:editorrjelal@gmail.com ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)make the students connect more easily with thesubject matter since the students have some priorknowledge about these topics. As such, the use ofwell-known learning materials will provide theproper and authentic situations inside the classroomand the teacher, in turn, will be able to make thestudents learn English in an easier way. With thehelp of such lessons, the teacher can also make thestudents engage in communicative activities likegiving lectures on specific topics, organising oralpresentation of pictures etc. This will enable thestudents learn the basic skills of language naturally.In this way, the learners can improve theircommunicative and cultural competence.(v) Grammar & Composition of ContemporaryEnglishThe grammar class can also be made aninteresting one if the English teacher is wellacquainted with the methods of teaching grammarlike the inductive and the deductive method. Whileteaching grammar, instead of asking the students tomemorise the rules of grammar, the teacher mayask the students to perform the activities and askthem to respond in the appropriate manner. Thegrammar book contains chapters on essay writing,note making, letter writing and notice writing. Inorder to teach composition of such types, theteacher can create a situation inside the classroom,where instead of making the students write theessay, letter, note or notice on a particular topic,students are asked to present the topics in the formof oral presentations. For example, the students cando oral presentation on the topics ‘Diwali’,“Christmas”, “Independence Day” etc. The teachercan decide whether the whole class need to presenton a single topic or different topics for eachstudents. Creating the situation and deciding waysto engage the students depend on the teacher’sknowledge and understanding of the need of thelearners.CONCLUSIONLiterature plays an important role in teachingthe four basic language skills - Reading, Writing,Listening and Speaking. When the English teacheruses literature as a tool to teach English, these skillsshould never be taught in isolation but in an131integrated way. The teacher should utilize theliterature lessons prescribed by the BOSEM not onlyfor developing the writing skills but also for enhacingthe oral skills of the students. While teaching Englishthrough literature, some group activities such asgeneral class discussion, panel discussions, smallgroup work and debates, can be used in theclassroom. Such group activities may develop andenhance the communicative competence of thestudents. The teacher, as a facilitator, shouldprovide the required authentic situations inside theclassroom and it rests on the English teachers to usethe communicative approach in the schools ofManipur to enable the students develop proficiencyin spoken English.REFERENCEBhanot, Suman. English Language Teaching :Approaches and Techniques. 1st ed. NewDelhi: Kanishka Publishers,(2013).Halliday, Michael. Learning How to Mean:Explorations in the Development of LanguageLondon:Edward Arnold. (1975).Hymes, Dell. “Two Types of Linguistic Relativity” inBright, W. Sociolinguistics. The Hague:Mouton, (1966).Krashen, Stephen. Practice and Principles in SecondLanguage Acquisition. Oxford: PergamonPress Inc UK, (1982).Kamakhyakumar, L., Th.RatanKumar Singh and R.K.Priyalata Devi. (Eds).English LiteratureReader. 2nd ed. Imphal : Board of SecondaryEducation, (2016).Kamakhyakumar, L., Th.RatanKumar Singh and R.K.Priyalata Devi.(Eds). English Course Book. n, David. Designing Tasks for theCommunicative Classroom. 9th ed. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,(1996).Richards, Jack C and Theodore S. Rodgers.Approaches and Methods in LanguageTeaching. 2nd ed. Cambridge: CambridgeUniversity Press,(2001).KSHETRIMAYUM VIJAYALAKSHMI DEVI, Dr. RAJKUMARI ASHALATA DEVI

in teaching English as a second language in the schools of Manipur. The study will also examine the implementation and effectiveness of the communicative approach in teaching English as a second language in the context of Manipur. Keywords: Meiteilon/Manipuri, Acquisition, Second Language, Communicative Approach, Curriculum. INTRODUCTION