| Often ESL learners are worried that when they learn | | | | and information-gap activities. |
| new structures and forms in a target language, they | | | | Organizing activities in pairs or small groups allow the |
| "getting it right." Teaching form or accuracy is just as | | | | students to use language in private face-to-face |
| important as "getting the meaning across" which is | | | | interaction |
| both of fluency. fluency emphasizes meaning and | | | | Teaching Form and Meaning |
| accuracy emphasizes form and structure. However, | | | | Teaching communicatively is closely connected with |
| accuracy is developed through fluency, which is why in | | | | situation context. By that I mean, teachers can |
| our teaching, we should strive to provide the best | | | | contextualize language and ask learners to practice |
| method that caters to both these principles. | | | | responses which would be a) realistic ways of |
| The Goal behind Successful ESL Teaching | | | | performing useful communicative acts and b) situations |
| In ESL classrooms, using language to communicate is | | | | they might expect to encounter at some time. This |
| the most effective way to learn a language. Teaching | | | | makes language learning more relevant and useful. |
| students to be communicatively competent is just as | | | | when encouraging students to use the correct forms |
| important as teaching reading strategies. By giving | | | | in communicative teaching, errors are seen as natural |
| students the chance to use combinations of different | | | | to the learning process and are corrected only when |
| functions and structures, they can develop their fluency | | | | studying grammar. |
| and confidence in speaking the target language. | | | | When teaching function meaning, teachers relate the |
| Start by Using Pre-Communicative Learning Activities | | | | language (structural forms of the language) to external |
| By using pre-communicative activities, the ESL learners | | | | reality such as a concrete situation or a picture or |
| is equipped with some of the skills required for | | | | personal knowledge. For example, teachers can relate |
| communication without requiring him/her to perform | | | | going to the movie with learners' likes and dislikes: |
| communicative acts. This might be a good way to help | | | | Example: |
| build up confidence in speaking and grammar related | | | | Student #1: Should we go to the movies tonight? |
| activities. The criteria is not whether s/he has | | | | Student #2; I don't feel like going to the movies. (OR) |
| managed to convey an intended meaning, (accuracy) | | | | The movies? Yes! That's a good idea. |
| but rather if s/he has produced an acceptable piece of | | | | Teaching language communicatively provides |
| language. The activities also aim to help the learn | | | | opportunities for positive personal relationships to |
| develop links with meaning that will later enable him/her | | | | develop among learners and between learners and |
| to use language for communicative purposes. | | | | the teacher. Communicative interactions also |
| Principles behind Communicative Activities | | | | encourage cooperative relationships, promotes |
| Encouraging students to give a variety of responses | | | | learners' security and allows them to share ideas and |
| both personal and practice using language creatively. | | | | opinions and make them feel they are doing something |
| Giving students a purpose for using the language. | | | | useful. |
| Examples include discussion, games, problem solving | | | | |