A Critical Look at the Communicative Approach (1)

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// ELT Journal. — 1985. — Volume 39, Issue I. — Pp. 2—12.AbstractThis (the first of two articles) examines some of the more theoretical ideas underlying the ‘Communicative Approach’. These include the belief that we should teach ‘use’ as well as ‘meaning’, and some attitudes regarding the teaching of ‘skills’ and ‘strategies’. A second article will deal with more pedagogical aspects of the approach, especially the idea of a ‘semantic syllabus’ and the question of ‘authenticity’ in materials and methodology. In both articles, it is argued that there is serious confusion in the communicative view of these matters. In particular, the Communicative Approach fails to take account of the knowledge and skills which language students bring with them from their mother tongue and their experience of the world.The authorMichael Swan was formerly Principal of the Swan School of English, Oxford, and has taught English in Britain and France. For the last few years he has worked full-time as a writer of ELT materials, and has published several textbooks, mostly with Cambridge University Press.Качество. Отсканированные страницы с текстовым слоем.