Exploring Communicative Activities, CLT, and Communicative Competence

Introduction: In today's session we will review CCCN's principles and see how they relate to your own beliefs about teaching and learning. We will also explore the content from your flipped homework assignments in more detail. Follow the instructions to complete the tasks below.

Task 1: Synthesizing the principles

Your facilitator will give a presentation to describe the organization of the 7 Principles that make up CCCN's pedagogical model as well as explain each principle in detail. During the presentation, take notes in the Padlet below. For each category add the following information:

• Keywords and phrases
• Justification
• Examples
• Connection with your own beliefs
• Questions and doubts

Task 2: Our Teaching-Manifestos

Take turns sharing your Teaching-Learning Manifestos. Use the following instructions to guide your discussion.

Click to view full size image.

Task 3: Communicative Activities

Take 10 minutes to complete Task 3. Click on the YouTube video below to start your timer. Then answer the questions with your partner. 

1. How would you define the word "communication"?
2. What role should communication play in the teaching-learning experience?
3. In the article you read, Thornbury describes six characteristics of communicative activities. Without looking at your notes, which of those characteristics can you remember?
4. Now CLICK HERE to view a list of definitions of the terms. Can you remember the terms?
5. Now CLICK HERE to view a list of the terms. Match them with their definitions and explain why they are important.
6. Share the communicative activity that you identified in your homework and explore with your partner how it fits all six characteristics of communicative activities outlined by Thornbury.

Task 4: Two Approaches to Language

Take 5 minutes to discuss the questions below.

1. What do the terms strong & weak and deep & shallow mean in the context of communicative language teaching?
2. What are their differences and similarities?
3. In what contexts might you prefer one approach over another? Why?
4. The words strong & weak and deep & and shallow are loaded terms, meaning that they have connotations that imply that one way is better. Strong and deep sound more important than weak and shallow. What alternative metaphor could you suggest to contrast these two important approaches in contemporary language pedagogy?

Task 5: Demo Lesson Reflection and Analysis

Now that you have participated in a brief demo lesson. Take a moment to reflect on your experiences from a student point of view and analyze the lesson sequence and its characteristics from a teacher perspective. 

1. What are your first thoughts, reactions, and impressions regarding the lesson?
2. CLICK HERE to view some key words. Choose three of them as a group and discuss any memories or observations you made in the demo lesson regarding each topic.
3. Were any of the principles addressed in this demo lesson? You can review the notes you took in the Padlet if you need to refresh your memory.
4. Now CLICK HERE and discuss the analysis questions with your partners.