Communicative Language Teaching in EFL University Context: Challenges for Teachers

Abstract

The tenet of this study was to investigate the challenges hindering a proper implementation of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in EFL university context. There have been opposing views on feasibility of implementing CLT in EFL context. Some researchers (Incecay & Incecay 2009; Bax 2003) have preferred the significance of learners' needs and adoption of traditional methods of language teaching. However, there is much research on adopting CLT in EFL context (Coskun 2011; Richards 2006; Sauvignon 2002; Murphy 2000; Littlewood 1981; Hymes 1971). In Saudi Arabia, one of the objectives of teaching English is to enable the students to achieve communicative competence but teachers face a lot of difficulties in exploiting the content using CLT approach. A questionnaire (Ozsevik, 2010) was adapted to gather the data from 100 teachers (male and female) at Taif University English Language Centre regarding the challenges they are facing in creating a CLT environment. The results revealed that the teachers were confronted with various challenges relating to teachers, students, education system, and CLT. The important findings included lack of CLT training, problems in accessing CLT resources, low-proficiency of students, lack of motivation among students, examination system and instruments to assess communicative competence of the students.