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103THE ROLE OF CLT (COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING) ACTIVITIES IN CONSOLIDATION OF LANGUAGE SKILLS
Alimova D.K.
Alimova Dildora Komiljon kizi - Teacher, DEPARTMENT APPLIED SCIENCES, UZBEKISTAN STATE WORLD LANGUAGES UNIVERSITY, TASHKENT, REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
Abstract: the article under discussion depicts the role of CLT (Communicative Language Teaching) activities in learning foreign languages. The author of the article suggests several interesting CLT activities which motivate students to learn English and improve their knowledge.
Keywords: CLT activities, motivation, communicative, foreign languages, tasks, interaction, social, sharing information.
Communicative Language Teaching is a language teaching that starts from a communicative model of language and language use. The range of exercise types and activities compatible with a communicative approach is unlimited, provided that such exercises enable learners to attain the communicative objectives of the curriculum, engage learners in communication. Classroom activities are often designed to focus on completing tasks that are mediated through language or involve negotiation or information and information sharing. Since the end of 1970s, there has been a movement in CLT to make learners rather than teachers the center of language learning. According to this approach to teaching, learners are more important than teachers, materials, curriculum, methods, or evaluation. As a matter of fact, curriculum, materials, teaching methods, and evaluation should all be designed for learners and their needs. It is the teacher's responsibility to check to see whether all of the elements of the learning process are working well for learners and to adapt them if they are not. In other words, learners should be the center of instruction and learning. The role of teachers is to help learners to learn. Teachers have to follow the curriculum and provide, make, or choose materials. They may adapt, supplement, and elaborate on those materials and also monitor the progress and needs of the students and finally evaluate students. Materials include textbooks, video and audio tapes, computer software, and visual aids. They influence the content and the procedures of learning. The choice of deductive vs. inductive learning, the role of memorization, the use of creativity and problem solving, production vs. reception, and the order in which materials are presented are all influenced by the materials. Classroom activities used in CLT: example activities, role play, interviews information gap, games, language exchanges, surveys, pair work, learning by teaching. Some courses will have the students take occasional grammar quizzes, or prepare at home using non-communicative drills, for instance [3, p.p. 78-95]. Green distinguishes between "functional communication activities" and "social interaction activities" as major activity types in Communicative Language Teaching. Functional communication activities include such tasks as learners comparing sets of pictures and noting similarities and differences; working out a likely sequence of events in a set of pictures; discovering missing features in a map or picture; one learner communicating behind a screen to another learner and giving instructions on how to draw picture or shape, or how to complete a map; following directions; and solving problems from shared clues. Social interaction activities include conversation and 160 discussion sessions, dialogues and role plays, simulations, skits, improvisations, and debates [1, p.p. 123-135]. Many activities can be done with picture strip stories. We suggest one in our discussion of scrambled sentences. In this activity one student in a small group is given a strip story. The student shows the first picture of the story to the other members of his group and asks them to predict what the second picture would look like. An information gap exists - the students in the group do not know what the picture contains. They have a choice as to what their prediction would be and how they would word it. Afterwards they receive feedback, not on the form but on the content of the prediction. The activity just described is an example of using a problem-solving task as a communicative technique. Communication through Internet video services, for example, the now popular Skype, can be a good language school. A variety of games, role plays, simulations, and task based communication activities support communicative language. Teaching classes these typically are in the form of one-of-a-kind items: exercise handbooks, cue cards, activity cards, pair communication practice materials, and student-interaction practice booklets. Teachers need to look for good materials, both commercial and non-commercial, all the time. They also need to be aware of commercialism and copyright issues concerning materials.
References
1. Green P. Communicative Language Testing: A Resource Book for Teacher Trainers. Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 1997. Pp. 123-135.
2. Brun M. The essentials of a communicative curriculum in language teaching. Applied Linguistics 1 (2), 1998. Pp. 89-112.
3. Allwright R.L. Language learning through communication practice.ELT Documents.76 (3). London: British Council, 1997. Pp. 78-95 .ble way for themselves, based on their needs and preferences.
THE IMPORTANCE AND SPECIAL PECULIARITY OF THE USE OF AUTHENTIC MATERIALS IN EFL Alimova D.K.
Alimova Dildora Komiljon kizi - Teacher, DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED SCIENCES, UZBEKISTAN STATE WORLD LANGUAGES UNIVERSITY, TASHKENT, REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
Abstract: this article informs about the importance and special peculiarities of authentic materials in teaching listening skills. Three categories of authentic materials, advantages and disadvantages of it are revealed widely. Identifying students' needs and goals is the first step in using authentic materials of teachers.
Keywords: notion, communication, authentic, skills, integrated approach.
Nowadays, the use of authentic materials plays an important role in the development of listening comprehension. The notion of authenticity has been much discussed. Marrow's definition will serve us well. He relates it to "a stretch of real language produced by a real speaker or writer for a real audience and designed to carry a real message of some sort." (1977:13).
Harmer (1983:146) says that authentic texts (either written or spoken) are those which are designed for native speakers: They are real text designed not for language students, but for the speakers of the language in question.1 Nunan (1989:54) thinks that a rule of thumb for authenticity here is any material which has not been specifically produced for the purposes of language teaching. Furthermore, Gilman and Moody (1984) recommend that the teacher should use authentic materials in implementing listening comprehension training not only at advanced level but with students at the beginning and intermediate levels.
According to Gebhard (1996), authentic materials can be classified into three categories:
1.Authentic Listening-Viewing Materials: TV commercials, quiz shows, cartoons, news clips, comedy shows, movies, soap operas, professionally audio-taped short stories and novels, radio ads, songs, documentaries, and sales pitches.
2.Authentic Visual Materials: slides, photographs, paintings, children' artwork, stick-figure drawings, wordless street signs, silhouettes, pictures from magazine, ink blots, postcard pictures, wordless picture books, stamps, and X-rays.
3.Authentic Printed Materials: newspaper articles, movie advertisements, astrology columns, sports reports, obituary columns, advice columns, lyrics to songs, restaurant menus, street signs, cereal boxes, candy wrappers, tourist information brochures, university catalogs, telephone books, maps, TV guides, comic books, greeting cards, grocery coupons, pins with messages, and bus schedules. Here, we mainly focus on the authentic listening materials. This can be seen clearly by looking at the different features of the two kinds of materials.
S. Haines (1995) considers the following to be the advantages of authentic materials:
• Authentic texts have a communicative purpose unrelated to the language teaching itself;
• Most texts are aimed at particular target listeners, who may be expected to react to the text in some
way2;
• Authentic texts help students to develop listening strategies.
The first step in using authentic materials is identifying students' needs and goals. Teachers can do this in a variety of ways: scheduling, intake interviews with students, conducting weekly learner focus groups and discussions, administering written needs assessment surveys, etc. Invite students to participate in the process of identifying authentic materials. They may consider these materials inappropriate for school, based on their earlier academic experiences or their cultural perspectives. Teachers can engage them in conversations about the rationale for using authentic materials and ask them to collect and bring authentic materials to class to support their learning goals.
1 Harmer (1983:146). A history of English language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2 S. Haines The practice of English language teaching. Pearson education Ltd, Essex, 4th Ed., 1995, 448 p.
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