two or more students are assigned a task that involves collaboration and self- initiated language. Brown 2001:177 suggests some group tasks activities as
follows: a.
Games b.
Role play and simulation c.
Drama d.
Project e.
Interview f.
Brainstorming g.
Information gaps h.
Jigsaw i.
Problem solving and decision making j.
Opinion exchange One of the activities suggested by Brown is game. Game means an activity
which is entertaining and engaging, often challenging, and an activity in which the learners play and usually interact with others Wright, et.al. 2006. Many games
provide repeated use of particular language form. Games also provide opportunity for the young students to sense the working of the language as living
communication. Some games require four to six players. If there is to be a competition between groups, they should be of mixed ability Wright, et.al.
2006:3.
5. Communicative Language Teaching CLT
Brown 2001 defines CLT as an approach to language teaching methodology that emphasizes authenticity, interaction, student-centered
learning, task-based activities, communication for the real world, and meaningful purposes. In addition, Brown 2001 also offers four
interconnected characteristics of CLT:
1 Classroom goals are focused on all of the components of CC
communicative competence and not restricted to grammatical or linguistic competence.
2 Language techniques are designed to engage learners in the
pragmatic, authentic, functional use of language for meaningful purposes. Organizational language forms are not the central focus
but rather aspects of language that enable the learner to accomplish those purposes.
3 Fluency and accuracy are seen as complimentary 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 In the communicative classroom, students ultimately have to use the
language, productively and receptively, in unrehearsed contexts. CLT is generally regarded as an approach to language teaching
Richards and Rodgers 2001. It is based on the theory that communication is the primary function of language use. Savignon 2002 states that CLT refers
to both processes and goals in classroom learning and that the central theoretical concept in communicative language teaching is the communicative
competence The fundamental goal of CLT is to develop the student
s’ communicative competence in L2 through communication and interaction with
others Brown, 2001. The term communicative competence refers to a speakers’ capability to speak a language with linguistic proficiency and to use
language appropriately in different social contexts Hymes in Savignon 1998. Savignon 1998 describes communicative competence as the ability to
function in a truly communicative setting that allows students to communicate with other speakers effectively and spontaneously.
Savignon 1998 further explains that communicative competence is dependent on the negotiation of meaning between speakers, because
