Stages in language learning

1.Elements of language learning

2.Learning stages
3.Characteristics of communicative/non-
communicative activities
1.Elements of language learning

language structures: grammar;

lexical elements : vocabulary;
4 skills: productive speaking,
writing, receptive listening, reading.
2.Learning stages

Introducing new language

Practice
Communicative activities
Introducing new language

short, introductory stage;

non-communicative;
controlled techniques;
the focus is on accuracy.
Practice

communicative and non

communicative features;
communicative purpose;
lack of language variety;
materials control;
teacher corrects mistakes.
Communicative activities

a communicative purpose;
variety of language;
teacher participant, observer, giving
feed-back.
 Characteristics of
communicative/non-communicative
activities
Communicative activities:
a desire to communicate;
a communicative purpose;
content, not form;
variety of language;
no teacher intervention;
no materials control.
Non-communicative activities:
no communicative desire;
no communicative purpose;
form, not content;
one language item;
teacher intervention;
materials control.
 In a communicative activity, students must have a
desire to communicate, and there must be some
communicative purposes to their communication.
Their attention, of course, will be focused on the
content of what they are saying rather than the form.
They will use a wide variety of language, and the
teacher will not intervene by telling students they have
made mistakes in their English or correcting their
pronunciation, etc.
The teacher would not expect the materials which
students were using would control their language ..
 For non-communicative activities, there will be no
desire to communicate, nor will students have a
communicative purpose.
Students are involved in repetition or substitution
drills so that they can be motivated by the need to
attain accuracy, not by a desire to achieve a
communicative objective.
emphasis will be on the form of the language, not the
content.
The teacher will intervene to ensure accuracy, and
the materials used will often concentrate on a
particular item of language.
Balanced activity approach:
variety of activities, both
communicative and non-
communicative;
integration of all skills;
work on language: grammar and
vocabulary.
Bibliography

Harmer, J. 2004. The Practice of

English Language Teaching.
London: Longman.
Larsen-Freeman, D. 1986.
Techniques and Principles in
Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.