Journal Screenshot

International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development

Open Access Journal

ISSN: 2226-6348

ESL Primary Teachers’ Perceptions on the Use of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) Approach to Teach CEFR Speaking Skill

Soon Ming Hui, Yunus Melor Md

http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v12-i1/16499

Open access

As the world heads into digitalisation, the ability to speak fluent English has become increasingly important due to its emergence as an international language among speakers of different countries. Nevertheless, many ESL pupils have struggled to speak and convey their ideas well throughout the years despite learning English very young. Along with abolishing centralised exams like UPSR and PT3, the English curriculum in Malaysia was spontaneously reshaped by introducing the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Consequently, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) Approach is being revived to sustain spoken interaction among the pupils. Despite countless studies on the CLT approach in ESL classrooms, there is insubstantial past research focusing on integrating CLT and CEFR curriculum in teaching ESL speaking skills. Hence, this study aims to explore ESL primary teachers’ perceptions of the use of CLT in teaching speaking and their readiness to use the said approach. This study focuses on 305 English primary teachers teaching on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. By adopting a cross-sectional survey design, data is collected quantitatively through purposive sampling. The research instrument used is an online questionnaire created via Google Form to be administered via a web-based survey procedure. The findings revealed at least 4.15 mean intervals across the first ten items and 4.07 and above for the following ten items, indicating that most respondents held positive perceptions and were ready to use the CLT approach in teaching speaking skill under the CEFR curriculum. Future recommendations included using localised CEFR textbooks and integrating Virtual Reality (VR).

Abdelmageed, N. A. T., & Omer, M. A. A. (2020). THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING APPROACH (CLT) IN DEVELOPING STUDENTS’SPEAKING SKILLS FROM TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS. European Journal of English Language Teaching, 5(3), 88-102.
Afip, A. L., Hamid, M. O., & Renshaw, P. (2019). Common European framework of reference for languages (CEFR): insights into global policy borrowing in Malaysian higher education. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 17(3), 378–393.
Ahmet, A. C. A. R., & Cavas, B. (2020). THE EFFECT OF VIRTUAL REALITY ENHANCED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT ON THE 7TH-GRADE STUDENTS' READING AND WRITING SKILLS IN ENGLISH. MOJES: Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 8(4), 22-33.
AL-Garni, S. A., & Almuhammadi, A. H. (2019). The Effect of Using Communicative Language Teaching Activities on EFL Students’ Speaking Skills at the University of Jeddah. English Language Teaching, 12(6), 72–86.
Alghamdi, A. (2021). The Impact of EFL Teachers’ Pedagogical Beliefs and Practices: Communicative Language Teaching in a Saudi University Context. English Language Teaching, 14(12), 171–182.
Al-Jarf, R., & Mingazova, N. G. (2020). Evaluation of Arabic language teaching textbooks used in Russia in the light of the CEFR criteria. Proceedings IFTE-2020 101-129.
Arrasul, A. R., & Pole, N. H. (2021). THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CLT (COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING) TO IMPROVE PUPILS’ SPEAKING ABILITY. BABASAL English Education Journal, 2(2), 26–34.
Bonner, E., & Reinders, H. (2018). Augmented and virtual reality in the language classroom: Practical ideas. Teaching English with Technology, 18(3), 33–53.
Bougie, R., & Sekaran, U. (2019). Research methods for business: A skill building approach. John Wiley & Sons.
Devi Krishnan, P., & Md Yunus, M. (2019). Blended CEFR in Enhancing Vocabulary among Low Proficiency Students. Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on CALL, (5), 141-153.
Don, Z. M. (2020). The CEFR and the production of spoken English: A challenge for teachers. The English Teacher, 49(3), 77–88.
Education Minister: UPSR exams to be abolished; PT3 is cancelled this year | The Star (no date). Available at: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/04/28/education-minister-upsr-exams-to-be-abolished-pt3-is-cancelled-this-year (Accessed: 15 November 2022).
Ervina, E., & Kurniati, K. (2019). The Effect of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) on Students’ Speaking Ability at SMPN 1 Bengkalis. Akademika, 15(1), 116–129.
Europe, C. O. (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge: CUP.
Malaysia Ministry of Education. (2020). Available at: https://www.moe.gov.my/menumedia/media-cetak/penerbitan/dskp kssr/1255-dskp-kssr-bahasa-inggeris-sjk-tahun-6/file (Accessed: 15 November 2022).
Foley, J. (2022). CLT using CEFR and EIL in Southeast Asia and East Asia in the English language classroom. RELC Journal, 53(1), 240–252.
Gardner, R. C. (1985). Social psychology and second language learning: The role of attitudes and motivation. Arnold.
Halim, A., Permatawati, I., & Permana, P. (2021, November). The Types of Speaking Exercises and Their Compliance With CEFR. In Fifth International Conference on Language, Literature, Culture, And Education (ICOLLITE 2021) (pp. 14-17). Atlantis Press.
Harahap, N. H., Ramadani, R., Sanusi, A., Sinaga, D. P., & Tampubolon, M. (2021). The Increasing of Students’ English Speaking by Using Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) through Online Learning in Pandemic Covid-19. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute-Journal (BIRCI-Journal), 4(4), 8935-8941.
Hashim, H. U., & Yunus, M. M. (2018). English as a second language (ESL) learning: Setting the right environment for second language acquisition. Tadris: Jurnal Keguruan dan Ilmu Tarbiyah, 3(2), 207–215.
Hengki, H., & Ratna, R. (2019). THE USE OF COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING (CLT) APPROACH THROUGH ENGLISH VILLAGE FOR IMPROVING AN TRANSACTIONAL LANGUAGE FUNCTION OF SPEAKING SKILL. AL-ULUM: Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Humaniora, 5(2), 2476-9576.
Ho, Y. Y. C. (2020). Communicative language teaching and English as a foreign language undergraduates’ communicative competence in Tourism English. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 27, 100271.
Hoque, M. S., Idrus, R. M., & Islam, Y. M. (2018). A Health-Check of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in Rural Primary Schools of Bangladesh. English Language Teaching, 11(7), 163–175.
Khoja, B., & Mohapatra, D. (2017). The real story of English language teaching in Syrian high schools and the bumpy transition into the university level. In Online Proceedings of the International Conference: DRAL (Vol. 3).
Kok, N. M., & Aziz, A. A. (2019). English language teachers’ perceptions on the implementation of CEFR-aligned curriculum among primary schools in Malaysia. In Seminar Wacana Pendidikan (pp. 212-222).
Krashen, S. D. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. 1st ed. Oxford?; New York: Pergamon (Language teaching methodology series).
Lafta, N. H. (2021). The Difficulties that Teachers Face When Implementing Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in Secondary Schools in Iraq. Journal of College of Education, 1(43), 577-588.
Lim, T. M., & Yunus, M. M. (2021). Teachers’ perception towards the use of Quizizz in the teaching and learning of English: A systematic review. Sustainability, 13(11), 6436.
Maulana, C. (2019). Use of Communicative Language Teaching Method for Students at STMIK Royal in Kisaran. Journal Of Science And Social Research, 2(2), 53–61.
Ministry of Education. 2022. KSSR English Year 6 SJKC Standard Document of Curriculum and Assessment. Putrajaya: Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia.
Nawai, R., & Said, N. E. M. (2020). Implementation challenges of Common European Framework Reference (CEFR) in a Malaysian Setting: Insights on English Teachers’ Attitude’. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10(7), 28–41.
Nazari, W. A. A. W., & Aziz, A. A. (2020). Content analysis of PULSE 2 textbook’s reading texts. International Journal of Applied Science and Engineering Review, 1(6), 68–90.
Nowlan, A., & Samuell, C. (2019). Communicative language teaching: Contemporary applications in Japan. Kwansei Gakuin University Humanities Review, 24, 77–87.
Nuby, M. H. M., Rashid, R. A., & Hasan, M. R. (2019). Practices and Outcomes of Communicative Language Teaching in Higher Secondary Schools in Rural Bangladesh. Qualitative Research in Education, 8(2), 148–181.
Pitikornpuangpetch, C., & Suwanarak, K. (2021). Teachers’ Beliefs and Teaching Practices about Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in a Thai EFL Context. LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network, 14(2), 1–27.
Promtara, N., & Suwanarak, K. (2018). Thai Students and Teachers’ Perceptions of Learning and Teaching English through the Communicative Language Teaching Approach. NIDA Journal of Language and Communication, 23(33), 23–42.
Rahmatuzzman, M. (2018). Communicative language teaching (CLT): Theory vs reality in the context of secondary schools in Bangladesh. Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 10(1), 24–32.
Rao, P. S. (2019). The importance of speaking skills in English classrooms. Alford Council of International English & Literature Journal (ACIELJ), 2(2), 6–18.
Razak, N. A., Yassin, A. A., & Maasum, T. N. R. T. M. (2020). Formalizing informal CALL in learning english language skills. In Enhancements and limitations to ICT-based informal language learning: emerging research and opportunities (pp. 161-182). IGI Global.
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Rijnan, R., & Irwan, I. (2020). A Descriptive Study on the Use of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) For Teaching Speaking at SMAN 1 Praya. International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 7(1), 587–597.
Rilling, S. (2018). Audio-Lingual Method’. The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching, pp. 1–7.
Rusli, R., Yunus, M. M., & Hashim, H. (2018). Low speaking proficiency among the Malaysian undergraduates: Why and how. Persidangan Antarabangsa Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan, 50(3), 678–689.
Siregar, R. (2018). Grammar based translation method in translation teaching. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies, 6(2), 148–154.
Smith, M., & Loewen, S. (2018). Situational language teaching’, The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching, 1–6.
Takal, G. M., Ibrahim, N. M., & Jamal, M. (2021). Communicative Language Teaching in public universities in Afghanistan: Perceptions and challenges. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 11(11), 1434–1444.
Tiwari, T. D. (2021). Classroom Interaction in Communicative Language Teaching of Public Secondary Schools in Nepal. Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 5(2), 373–386.
Toro, V., Camacho-Minuche, G., Pinza-Tapia, E., & Paredes, F. (2019). The Use of the Communicative Language Teaching Approach to Improve Students' Oral Skills. English Language Teaching, 12(1), 110-118.
Tosun, F. U., & Glover, P. (2020). How Do School Teachers in Turkey Perceive and Use the CEFR? International Online Journal of Education and Teaching, 7(4), 1731-1739.
Wong, H. T. C., & Yunus, M. M. (2021). Board Games in Improving Pupils’ Speaking Skills: A Systematic Review. Sustainability,13(16), 8772.
Yeh, L. H. (2021). Challenges faced by Visual Art Education with the Existence of Classroom Based Assessment in Primary School within District of Hilir Perak. KUPAS SENI, 9(1), 46–57.
Zulu, P. M. (2019). Teachers’ Understanding and Attitudes towards Communicative Language Teaching Method in ESL Classrooms of Zambia. International Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, 6(6), 1–13.

In-Text Citation: (Hui & Yunus, 2023)
To Cite this Article: Hui, S. M., & Yunus, M. M. (2023). ESL Primary Teachers’ Perceptions on the Use of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) Approach to Teach CEFR Speaking Skill. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 12(1), 1731–1748.