8 successful language learning involves the use of effective learning and
communication strategies, 9
the role of the teacher in language classroom is that of a facilitator, who creates a classroom climate conductive to language learning and
provides opportunities for students to use and practice the language and to reflect on language learning and
10 the classroom is a community where learners learn through
collaboration and sharing. The assumptions above imply that English teachers should provide
classroom activities that give opportunities for students to use the language to interact in meaningful communications. Thus, it is the teachers‘ task to
give feedback for every single activity done by students so students, at the end, are able to use the language accurately and fluently. It is also important
to the teacher to teach communicative strategies in accordance with their own styles of learning. Furthermore, the teacher, as facilitator needs to
create comfortable atmosphere with various interesting activities such as pair or group work activities. Therefore, students can practice to use
language, for example, by sharing ideas, opinions and other feelings to each other as well as to the teacher.
b. The Characteristics of CLT
Brown 2001:43 suggests the six interconnected characteristics of CLT. They are described as follows:
1 classroom goals are focused on all the components grammatical,
discourse, functional, sociolinguistic, and strategic of communicative competence. Goals therefore must intertwine the organizational aspects
of language with pragmatic,
2 language techniques are designed to engage learners in the pragmatic,
authentic, functional use of language for meaningful purposes. Organizational forms are not the central focus, but rather aspects of
language that enable the learners to accomplish those purposes,
3 fluency and accuracy are seen as complementary principles underlying
communicative techniques. At times fluency may have to take on more importance than accuracy in order to keep learners meaningfully
engaged in language use,
4 students in a communicative class ultimately have to use the language,
productively and respectively, in unrehearsed context outside the classroom. Classroom tasks must therefore equip the students with the
skills necessary for communication in those contexts,
5 students are given opportunities to focus on their own learning process
through an understanding on their own styles of leaning and through the development of appropriate strategies for autonomous learning, and
6 the role of the teacher is that of facilitator and guide, not an all-knowing
bestower of knowledge. Students are therefore encouraged to construct meaning through genuine linguistic meaning through genuine linguistic
interaction with others.
The characteristics above indicate that the purpose of learning the language in CLT is to gain all components of language by engaging students
in meaningful communication. CLT also sees fluency as important as accuracy. Therefore, the teacher needs to balance the activities which focus
on both fluency and accuracy. The teacher should also provide classroom activities with many opportunities to use the language through appropriate
strategies and autonomous learning. Students are considered to be the center of the class by guidance from the teacher. In a way, some of the
characteristics make it difficult for a nonnative speaking teacher who is not very proficient in the foreign language to teach effectively.
c. The Goal of CLT
