Communicative competence in teaching speaking

part, however it is a separate point. Many

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learners (notably younger learners) have no clear
conception of their future needs with the foreign
language. They may therefore find the greater
stimulation in situation that are of immediate
rather than future relevance. These may be
situations which arise in the course of classroom
interaction. If simulation is used, they may be
role- playing activities based on their familiar
realms of experience (e.g., family, friends or
school), rather than those which project into a
less familiar future. (e.g,.booking hotels).
5. Similar considerations apply to the roles that
learners are asked to perform in these situations.
They may often be asked to stimulate a role that
they are never likely to adopt in real life, such as
that of a detective or waiter. This does not mean
that the language they practice in that role is of
no value. Each learner should be allocated a fair
proportion of roles which are more directly
relevant in one or both of two senses. (a) he
might reasonably expect to have to perform that
role in foreign language situations outside the
classroom; (b) he is already familiar with the role
in their native language. It is these roles that
learner are likely to identify most deeply.
Through them, therefore, they have the greatest
chance of relating to the foreign language with
their whole personality, rather than merely
manipulating it as an instrument which is
external to them.

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COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE AND CLT
The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
is a method of second language teaching which is
derived from the belief that language proficiency equals
to 
communication 
ability. 
Thus, 
communicative
competence becomes the main inspiration of CLT. The
strong form of CLT attempts to avoid explicit grammar
instruction in language teaching. Learners are expected
to generalize rules from input-rich situation created by
the teachers. Other than the strong form of CLT, many
variations can be mentioned related to the application of
CLT. This makes CLT is an ideal pedagogical teaching
mechanism philosophically but not easy to be converted
into real classroom situations. The further application of
CLT around the world has been under investigation for
years, yet CLT has not yielded the result that it is
expected to have. I think, CLT needs more time to prove
its effectiveness (not simply because it has failed).
Savignon (in Murcia 2001: 13) explains that in
Communicative Language Teaching, the identification of
learners’ communicative needs and goals is the first step
in the development of a teaching program that involves
learner as active participant in interpretation, expression,
and negotiation of meaning.
Negotiation of meaning describes the ability
viewed as variable and highly dependent upon context
and purpose as well as on the roles and attitudes of all

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involved. On the other hand, it will develop the learner’s
ability to actually use the language for communication.
As known that negotiation of meaning as suggested in
CLT in teaching speaking becomes a lofty goal
supported with materials, providing learners with a range
of communicative tasks that are comfortable for them. It
is also suggested to EFL teacher to encourage more the
students with the language instruction that stimulate the
students to use their language naturally. According to
Murcia (2001: 20) making an effort to get the gist and
using strategies to interpret, express, and negotiate
meaning 
are 
important 
to 
development 
of
communicative competence.
The development of communicative competence
involves whole learners. The most successful teaching
programs are those who take account the affective as
well as the cognitive learners psychologically as well as
intellectually. Of course, the communicative practice is
important for the learners. Furthermore, Murcia (2001:
22) cites learners should not only be given the
opportunity to say what they want to say in English, they
also should be encouraged to develop an English
personality with which they are comfortable.
In this model of learning, the interaction will
happen in which the language made by the learners is
formed of stimuli resulting a feedback. This also treats
the acquisition of language as the result of an interaction

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between the learner’s mental abilities and the linguistic
environment. According to Ellis (1986 : 129) claims, the
interaction is a manifest in the actual verbal interaction
in which the learner and interlocutor participate that
results 
language 
acquisition 
derived 
from 
the
collaborative efforts.
With reference to the statement above, it is clear
that natural communication is strongly stressed in CLT.
As mentioned in previous statement that CLT of English
is the teaching that is focused on developing the
students’ 
communicative 
competence, 
namely,
developing their ability to communicate effectively in
culturally significant setting. Furthermore, Zainil (2008:
42) supports that Communicative competence in CLT is
dynamic, interpersonal, context specific, and relative that
it depends on the negotiation of meaning between
communicators.