Communicative Language Teaching and Its Role in a Pronunciation Class
Chad Fryer Toyo University
This report describes two major interpretations of Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT) that often cause confusion among educators. The "weak"
version is better known in Japan primarily due to the influence of North American
teaching theories that promote this version. This version favors maximum English
exposure during teacher-talk and group work. However, the "strong" version appears
to be beter suited to Japan and other Asian teaching contexts because it stresses
that the lesson objectives should determine whether English should be used during
group work. To demonstrate the integration of CLT theories into practice, a description
of the way the author uses CLT in a pronunciation class is presented. The description
reflects a compromise between the author's personal teaching views and the university's
expectation for this type of course. While the focus is on the Japanese setting,
many of the points can be transferred to the wider Asian context.
