The goal of CLT is teaching what is called communicative competence. Mastering the function and purpose to which language is put. 

Function is the purpose for which we use language.

Comparing CLT with previous methods? It is considered a movement away from accuracy based activities towards fluency communicative based activities the type of classroom activities. Other methods are more functional and skill based teaching

The techniques are 

-peer work activities 

-role plays 

-group work activities 

Learners have to participate in classroom activities a cooperative rather than an individualistic approach to learning.

Teachers role is the monitor 

·       Goal: enable student to use language to communicate. 

·       Differences between other methods and this method: GOAL IS COMMUNICATE WITH THE TARGETED LANGUGAE BY FOCUASING ON (EMPHYTHISIS THE LINGUISTIC STRUCTURE AND VOCABULARY). This method those things are important, (however); students must understand the function (meaning of how we express language). 

·       Activity must have a lot of stuff/situation must be matching the functions students should negotiating meaning and try to understand each other, role play, problem solving,  etc.…) 

·       Function/meaning/why I am using the language ex: Request à  this is represented by different kinds of [grammatical structures].

-          Can u pass me the salt? – the salt please. -would u pass me the salt.  {all expressing the same goal of requesting the salt.}

·       Teaching must be under the level of function. 

·       During the activity (making a case) there should be a structure/grammatical & vocabulary structures; of the function.

·       Teachers provide the students with information.

·       Teacher is not the only source of information.

·       Teacher is only monitoring the activity and provide information. 

Sentence formations 

Grammatically correct sentences 

Communicative approach doesn’t focuses on grammar

It does teach grammar but doesn’t focus on it.

Functions are meanings

Communicative competence 

Dimension

Usage of languages for different purposes 

How to use language 

Producing different types of text 

maintaining conversations 

 Moving from accuracy activities to fluency communicative based activities 

Grammar correctly - accuracy

Ideas -fluency 

Roles of teachers and students 

Teachers 

Techniques 

Linguistic features are important 

The function(the meaning or the purposes that we put the language example : I use the language to describe or apologize)  and purposes are also important .

To help students communicate, the teacher need to provide rich and authentic input. There can be many approaches to achieve Communicative Language Teaching. Task-based teaching is the most common teaching approach. Teachers set up a goal, give students real-life language tasks, and students respond in a meaning way. In this process, students are motivated to use the language to serve the purpose of communication.

In CLT, meaning exceeds forms, but it does not mean that grammar is not important. Teachers should teach grammar within contexts and through communicative tasks. In this way, grammar is not presented as a list of rigid rules, but natural patterns that students acquire in the learning contexts.