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10.2. Expressing meaning in simple short
monolog using
various spoken forms accurately, fluently,
and acceptably to interact in surroundings in the forms of
recount and narrative texts
3. Communicative Language Teaching
Communicative language teaching is seen as the answers to get communicative teaching and learning processes. Here are explained about
definitions, origins, characteristics and communicative activities.
a. Definitions of Communicative Language Teaching CLT
Speaking is seen as measurement of mastering English. Speaking is not only about connecting grammar, but also how to use language itself
communicatively. As proposed by Harmer 2007: 84, Communicative Language Teaching underlines the importance of language functions rather
than grammar and vocabulary. That statement is also supported by Richards and Rogers 1986: 16 in Harmer 2007 defining CLT as
theories about the nature of language and language learning that provide practices and principles in language teaching. The main focus of CLT is
the language functions rather than grammar. There are grammatical and communicative competences in
speaking. The previous researches by some researchers found that grammatical competence was the main focus of teaching speaking before
implementing CLT under the issue of Audiolingualism. That is supported by the statement of Richards 2006 stating that previous analysis of
language learning concerned basically to master grammatical competence. There are more important aspects of speaking than grammar. They are the
skills and knowledge how to use the grammar itself. What students need to use to be able to speak is communicative competence. Communicative
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competence tells what to say and how to say appropriately based on the situation, participants and the roles and intentions. In another word, CLT
replicates the real world situation where there are purposes, setting, roles and functions in communication.
b. The Origin of Communicative Language Teaching
Communicative Language Teaching has been widely used by many countries. It is originally created in Great Britain as the result of changing
English learning and teaching. As time goes by, there are innovations in teaching language. As explained by Brown 2000, the innovation in 1970s
brought the language teaching to the experimental language teaching techniques. During the late 1970s and the beginning of 1980s, there was a
technique as what we call as communicative approach. In the late 1980s and 1990s, real-world simulation, and meaningful task came up as the
results of communicative language, and classroom for teaching language. Those previous explanations are supported as well by Richards and
Rogers 1986 stressing that the origins of Communicative Language Teaching CLT are the innovation in the British language teaching
tradition from the late 1960. We can conclude that the grammatical competence is step by step substituted by communicative competences
proven by those statements of the researchers. Communicative Language Teaching emerges into the solution of English language teaching for
having both functional and structural features of language. Littlewood 1981 adds that one of the strengths of CLT is that it combines functional
and structural features of language into completely communicative feature of language.
c. Characteristics of Communicative Language Teaching
