Approaches to Language Testing

Communicative
approach
Ummul
Jannah
Fatin
Zulfaisal
 Definition
• learning language successfully comes through
having to communicate real meaning
• natural strategies for language acquisition will
be used
• main objective is to present a topic in context
as natural as possible.
• to communicate using the target language.
 PRINCIPLES OF THE COMMUNICATIVE
APPROACH:
1. learning to communicate using the target language.
2. The language used to communicate must be appropriate to the situation, the roles of the
speakers, the setting and the register. The learner needs to differentiate between a formal
and an informal style.
3. Communicative activities are essential. Activities should be presented in a situation or
context and have a communicative purpose. Typical activities of this approach are: games,
problem-solving tasks, and role-play. There should be information gap, choice and feedback
involved in the activities.
4. Learners must have constant interaction with and exposure to the target language.
5. Development of the four macro skills — speaking, listening, reading and writing — is
integrated from the beginning, since communication integrates the different skills.
6. The topics are selected and graded regarding age, needs, level, and students’ interest.
7. Motivation is central. Teachers should raise students’ interest from the beginning of the
lesson.
8. The role of the teacher is that of a guide, a facilitator or an instructor.
9. Trial and error is considered part of the learning process.
10. Evaluation concerns not only the learners’ accuracy but also their fluency.
 Role play
• Divide pupils in pair
• Teacher give a set of dialogue with the
translation below.
• After practicing the pairs can present it to the
class
 Talk show interview
• Work in pairs
• The host student- Prepare 5 question
• The celebrity pupils- prepare answer in
complete sentences.
• Give them a day to rehearse
• Teacher plays a role in explaining the scene
• Information gaps activities
– Compare pictures
– Twenty questions
– Onion ring
– Human bingo
• Jigsaw activities
• Interactive games
 Bang Bang
Level: Easy
Divide the group into two teams. Explain that they are cowboys and
they are involved in a duel. One student from each team comes to
the front. Get them to pretend to draw their pistols. Say "how do
you say..." and a word in their mother tongue. The first child to give
the answer and then "bang bang", pretending to shoot his
opponent is the winner. He remains standing and the other one sits
down. I give 1 point for the right answer and 5 extra points if they
manage to "kill" 4 opponents in a row.

Editor's Note: Instead of saying the word in the students' mother

tongue, it would be possible to use a picture or to say a definition
("What do you call the large gray animal with a long nose?")
 Chain Spelling (Shiri-tori)
Level: Easy to Medium
The teacher gives a word and asks a student to spell it,
and then a second student should say a word
beginning with the last letter of the word given. The
game continues until someone makes a mistake, that
is, to pronounce the word incorrectly, misspell it or
come up with a word that has been said already, then
he/she is out. The last one remaining in the game is the
winner.

This game can be made difficult by limiting the words to a

certain category, e.g.. food, tools, or nouns, verbs, etc.
 Toilet Paper Icebreaker
Level: Any Level
This activity is used as a "getting to know you", icebreaker
on the first day of class.
1. Teacher takes the toilet paper roll and takes several
squares of toilet paper, then hands the roll of toilet
paper to a student. The teacher tells the student to
take some, more than three.
2. After everybody in the class has some paper, we
count the squares we have, then we have to tell that
many things about ourselves, in English.
This activity works well with substitute teachers also.

The toilet paper is such an attention getter.

 THE BALLOON DEBATE
• Students choose a character in the balloon
• Negotiate to save the life of only one person
• Make convincing arguments
 REFERENCES
Harmer, Jeremy. (1991). The Practice of English
Language Teaching. New York: Longman
Publishing.

Parrish, Betsy. (2004). Teaching Adult ESL. New

York: McGraw-Hill.