The Effectiveness of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in Developing English Speaking Skills among EFL Learners

Shanjida Afroz, Yeashfin Yousha Tashfi & Rezoan Momen Mridha Fahim

Jan-Feb-Mar

Abstract
In the present day, when the world is globalized, communication is international, higher education and employment opportunities are available, and the ability to speak English is essential for twenty-first-century learners. As a result, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has become one of the most effective methods in English Language Teaching (ELT) that focuses on the meaningful communicative use of the language and interaction among learners and between teacher and learner rather than on the memorization of rules. This research aimed to find out whether Communicative Language Teaching can be effective in developing the English-speaking skills of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students at the university level in Bangladesh. A quantitative descriptive survey approach was used to conduct the study, and the sample comprised 150 university-level students learning English as a foreign language. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale and then analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The descriptive statistical techniques, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, were used for analyzing the learners' perception of the students' speaking confidence, fluency, classroom interaction, communicative competence, and challenges encountered while implementing CLT in learning. The results of the simulations suggest that CLT has a significant positive impact on the learners' speaking fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary usage, confidence, participation in class, and communicative competence. However, difficulties in implementing is still present, such as large class sizes, examination-based curricula, short instructional time, lack of teacher training, and speaking anxiety. The study concludes that CLT is a successful pedagogical approach for improving English language proficiency when supported by appropriate pedagogical strategies, teacher training, and learner-centered classrooms.

Keyword: Communication, Speaking, EFL, Competence, Fluency, Interaction

Research Area: ELT

Country: Bangladesh

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