The Nature of Speaking
12 Organizational language 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 In the communicative classroom, students ultimately have to use the language, productively and receptively, in unrehearsed context.
Brown in Vilimec 2006, 18
In addition, Richard and Rodgers 2003 also stated that CLT is an approach and not a method. The goal of language teaching is to make
communicative competence and to develop procedures for the teaching of the four language skills. Further, CLT is a theory of language teaching that starts from a
communicative model of language and language use. According to Hymes‟s theory as cited in Richard and Rodgers 2003:159,
“communication competence was a definition of what a speakers needs to know in order to be communicatively competent in a speech community.” Richard and
Rodgers 2003:161 suggest some characteristics of communicative view of language as:
1 Language is a system for the expression of meaning
2 The primary function of language is to allow interaction and communication
3 The structure of language reflects its functional and communicative uses
4 The primary units of language are not merely its grammatical and structural
features, but categories of functional and communicative meaning as exemplified in discourse.
Moreover, Richards 2006 states that the one of goals of CLT is to develop fluency in language use. Fluency is natural language use occurring when a
13 speaker engages and maintains communication. It can be developed by creating
classroom activities in which learners must negotiate meaning, use communication strategies and avoid communication breakdowns.
Brown 2004: 271 describes six categories of speaking skill area. Those six categories are as follows:
a. Imitative This category covers the ability to practice an intonation and focus on some
particular elements of language form. It is only imitating a word, phrase or sentence, but the important thing is focusing on pronunciation. The teacher uses
drilling in the teaching learning process. By using drilling, students will get opportunity to listen and to repeat some words orally.
b. Intensive This is the students‟ speaking performance where students are practicing some
phonological and grammatical aspects of language. Students are doing the task in pairs group work, for example, reading aloud that includes reading paragraph,
reading dialogue with partner in turn, or reading information from chart. c. Responsive
Responsive performance includes interaction and test comprehension in limited level of very short conversation, standard greeting and small talk, simple request
and comments. This is a kind of short responses to teacher or student-initiated questions or comments, giving instructions and directions. However, those
responses are usually sufficient and meaningful. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
14 d. Transactional dialogue
It is carried out for the purpose of conveying or exchanging specific information. For example is conversation which is done in pair work.
e. Interpersonal dialogue The purpose is for maintaining social relationships than the transmission of facts
and information. The forms of interpersonal speaking performance are interview, role play, discussions, conversations and games.
f. Extensive monologue A teacher gives students extended monologues in the form of oral reports,
summaries, and story -telling and short speeches. Richard and Rodgers 2003 argue that the exercise types and activities in
a communicative approach are unlimited. It should provide exercises that enable learners to attain the communicative objectives of the curriculum, engage learners
in communication, and require the use of communicative processes as information sharing, negotiation of meaning, and interaction. Classroom activities mostly are
designed to focus on completing tasks, involving negotiation of information and information sharing.
Major activity types in CLT were distinguished into functional communication activities and interaction activities by Littlewood in Richard and
Rodgers, 2003. Functional communication activities are comparing sets of pictures and noting similarities and differences, working out a sequence of events
in a set of pictures, discovering missing features in a map, giving instructions on how to draw picture or shape, and following directions, or solving problems from
15 shared clues. While, social interaction activities include conversation and
discussion, dialogues and role-play, simulation, skit, improvisation and debates Richard and Rodgers, 2003. Furthermore, a variety of games are prepared to
support CLT classes. There are some points that should be considered in assessing speaking.
The students need to know at least the pronunciation, vocabularies, and language functions that they are going to use. When the students are ready and well
prepared for the activity, they can use the language appropriately.