Exploration of English Teachers Understandings and Practices of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) at Pre-University Level of Islamic Tertiary Educational Organization

Abstract

Previous studies regarding communicative language teaching approach (CLT) have shown that many language teachers saying they are adopting CLT in their classes. However, when it comes to the reality they are utilizing other traditional approaches which reflect a disparity between the theoretical and practical sides of this issue which needed to be studied. Thus, the first objective of this paper is to explore the understandings of English language teachers from Centre for Strategic Education and Training (IIUM CRESCENT) regarding the main attributes of CLT. The second objective is see how they practice it at the pre-university level in International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). The third aim is to find out what the situational challenges that might face them whilst implementing CLT, which causes a deviation from utilizing it in their classes. A qualitative phenomenological analysis method was adopted in this study, and its participants are five English language teachers from IIUM CRESCENT. These English teachers who have taken part in this study showed a positive understandings of CLT attributes which coincide with its characteristics. However, they have also mentioned some cultural and situational challenges that hinder their implementation of CLT, as result; they blend it with other teaching methods. This paper concludes with recommendations for adopting CLT for multi-national and multi-cultural students at pre-university level in Islamic context.