Two Main Approaches to Developing Communicative Skills

Abstract

In the course of recent history, many linguists have tried to answer the question: how do we learn foreign languages? There have been numerous attempts to design the perfect methodology of language learning and teaching, many approaches have been proposed to provide a framework for effective language teaching. In these days language teaching programs are indispensable and irrefragable parts of the curriculum. There is a great need for useful and useable language competence, and communication skills gain even more importance. In my thesis I would like to focus on the development of communication skills, especially as regards speaking. I will analyse two influential approaches to teaching foreign languages, namely, the Communicative Approach and the Natural Approach, the former I will also refer to as Communicative Language Teaching. During this analysis I will parallel describe characteristics of the two approaches, highlighting the main similarities and differences between them.