|
The title of this article has served as a research question for two experienced TESOL professionals, Richard Badger and Xiaobiao Yan who investigated the issue by administering questionnaires to IELTS teachers from different regions of China, conducting extensive interviews and observing IELTS preparation lessons. In 2012 they published their findings in 'IELTS Research Reports' (issue 13). However, before presenting the research conclusions, let's dwell on what communicative language teaching - CLT for short – actually is.
Teacher knowledge database of the British Council's Teaching English website tells us that CLT "is based on the idea that learning languages successfully comes through having to communicate real meaning. When learners are involved in real communication, their natural strategies for language acquisition will be used, and this will allow them to learn to use the language"(http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/communicative-approach ). One of the explanations for CLT given by Nina Spada (2006) in her seminal work about the current status and future prospects of CLT, is as follows: "CLT is a meaning-based, learner-centred approach to L2 teaching where fluency is given priority over accuracy and the emphasis is on the comprehension and production of messages" (p.272). Both definitions seem to highlight the fact that CLT is communication-oriented, learner-centred and is focussed on improving students' ability to use the language as opposed to giving them knowledge about the language. Classroom activities guided by CLT are characterised by trying to produce meaningful and real communication, even for the lower-level students. There is more emphasis on skills than systems together with extensive use of authentic materials.
Is an IELTS preparation course a suitable area for applying CLT methodology? IELTS official website explains that IELTS is designed to measure the "ability to communicate in English across all four language skills… for people who intend to study or work where English is the language of communication" (www.ielts.org ). This description establishes a clear communicative focus for the IELTS exam. It would be natural, therefore, if IELTS preparation courses used CLT as their primary methodology. Therefore, let's find out whether this theoretical observation is supported by Badger and Yan's findings about what methodology is actually used in IELTS classes in China.
The data gathered from a questionnaire administered to 69 teachers and interviews with 10 teachers suggest that the teachers have largely adopted CLT in their classes by using communicatively-oriented activities and materials as well as providing students with enough skills practice. Teachers also regard English as the best language for instruction. The only aspect where CLT did not feature was about teaching and learning roles. Most teachers seemed to prefer being in constant control and providing teacher-led instruction as opposed to using more CLT-friendly methods of classroom management.
However, data gathered from classroom observations did not fully support the questionnaire and interview findings. The researchers observed that "Chinese was used by the teacher for substantial part of the time" (p.28); in another instance a teacher used a lot of the class time to analyse a student's essay: "the teacher went through the essay paragraph by paragraph. The comments related mainly to the grammar" (p.27). Badger and Yan characterized this approach as "a CLT aim taught in a non-CLT manner" (p.28). They highlighted that "the teachers are using their mother tongue extensively, and the impact of this on learning is unlikely to be completely positive. There is also some indication that grammar-focussed teaching is more widespread than the questionnaire or interview data suggest" (p.30).
Overall the researchers concluded that "the style adopted by IELTS teaching in China is largely communicative". At the same time, they noted that "classes tended to be more teacher-centred than is expected in CLT classes and the use of the L1 was widespread" (p.30). Badger and Yan hypothesised about three main reasons underlying such deviations from CLT methodology:
- Most language schools are commercial organisations and, to satisfy students and their parents, "traditional [i.e. teacher-dominated] teaching styles are adopted because they are familiar to Chinese students and are thought to offer the best way to improve students' test scores" (p.31).
- Non-native teachers who mostly teach IELTS preparation courses "believe they cannot serve as direct models to students" (p.31) and therefore prefer to use Chinese when giving instructions and explanations.
- Teachers do not have enough opportunities to acquire CLT methodology and there is "the lack of teacher development in IELTS preparation" (p.31).
References:
Badger, R., & Yan, X. (2012). To what extent is communicative language teaching a feature of IELTS classes in China? IELTS Research Reports, volume 13, 1-44. Retrieved from here
Spada, N. (2006). Communicative language teaching: Current status and future prospects. In J. Cummins & C. Davis (Eds.), Kluwer handbook of English language teaching. Amsterdam: Kluwer Publications.
Submitted by Olena Rossi, British Council language assessment consultant
|
