Phase Two
- Challenges of language learning do not lend themselves to a ‘one size fits all’ solution. ‘communicative language training’ which makes use of a ‘task based approach’ was accepted as the framework to raise the capabilities of teachers and the competence of learners.
- The Department began to structure its language teaching with
- an underlying pedagogy based on an understanding of the nature of Communicative Competence - including linguistic and socio-cultural competence (intercultural competence). The Department recognized that the Communicative approach is about creating meaningful reasons for learning and using a foreign language, and it has never precluded grammatical understanding or the development of discourse competence (aka text level work);
- a teaching approach which is carefully structured to take account of learners’ needs and the conditions for successful language learning;
- a teaching style which is based on support for learner autonomy, and partnership between instructors and learners.