The Implementation of Communicative Language Teaching Approach in Selected Secondary School: Nepalese Teachers' Perspective

Abstract

Throughout the history of second/foreign language teaching, several methods and approaches have been developed. Among them, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has been a popularly practiced method in the modern context as there are a large number of teachers around the world who claim that they are using CLT. However, previous studies revealed that there is a discrepancy between their claim and their performance in real practice. Therefore, this research aims at exploring the perceptions of Secondary-level English teachers towards the CLT method along with the activities they use and the challenges they encounter. Using a qualitative descriptive inquiry, a close-ended questionnaire was sent via e-mail to the four purposively selected teachers teaching in public Secondary-schools in Kanchanpur, Nepal. In addition, an interview protocol was used with Four of the teachers. The findings of the study revealed that the teachers had positive perceptions towards the CLT method. However, the present study also highlighted that the teachers did not involve many communicative activities which are essentially needed for the successful implementation of the method. This study further exposed that the participants seem encountered several challenges while implementing the CLT method which is quite similar to the challenges faced by the teachers in the region. These results emphasized that the teachers should try to contextualize and maximize communicative activities amidst the challenges.

English Language Teaching through Communicative Method: A Qualitative Study of Pre-service Teachers' Perceptions

“…These findings echoed the previous study that revealed several typical challenges in implementing the CLT method in English teaching. The challenges included a large number of students occupying a small space classroom size (Abrejo et al, 2019), students' lack of willingness and motivation to speak in English (Williyan et al, 2023), insufficient and inappropriate use of teaching materials (Toro et al, 2018) and lack of continuous support from school leaders (Tiwari, 2021).…”

“…Apart from teaching materials, in terms of teaching practice, students' low level of English proficiency could be a deter factor for CLT implementation. The majority of EFL school students in Pakistan (Ahmad & Rao, 2021), Saudi Arabia (Alharbi, 2021;Althagafi, 2023), Turkey (Ozsevik, 2020), Nepal (Tiwari, 2021), and Bangladesh (Nuby et al, 2020) tend to translate written text into native language because they do not understand English. This is also a typical situation in the majority of schools, especially in remote areas of Indonesia (Muhammmad, 2023;Nasution, 2022;Williyan et al, 2023).…”

“…Communicative language teaching, on the other hand, emphasizes authentic and meaningful communication from the beginning of language learning. It encourages learners to use the target language to convey their ideas, opinions, and experiences (Qureshi et al, 2022) and promotes fluency and accuracy of speaking simultaneously as the method provides ample opportunities for students' engagement (Fattah & Saidalvi, 2019;Tiwari, 2021). By engaging in interactive activities such as role-plays, discussions, and information gap tasks, students can enhance their speaking abilities while building confidence in their language use (Galloway, 2023;Hien, 2021).…”

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) Approach in Kampung Inggris Pare in The New Normal Period

“…They believe that the CLT approach can improve students' speaking skills. However, this view is not matched by classroom practice, where teachers do not turn on communicative activities which are the essence of the successful application of the CLT approach (Tiwari, 2021). Teachers in Nepal have difficulty translating the principles of the CLT approach into real practice amid other problems faced.…”