FROM LINGUISTIC COMPETENCE TO PERFORMANCE: SOCIOLINGUISTIC CHALLENGES OF COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING TO ELT TEACHER AT HIGHER EDUCATION LEVEL IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21203069Keywords:
Challenges to English Teachers in CLT, Communicative Competence, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), English as a Foreign Language (EFL)Abstract
This study attempted to investigate the challenges faced by college English teachers in applying Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The study employed qualitative approach, essentially phenomenological in nature by drawing on fifteen teachers' lived experiences through semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis was conducted to recognize the general trends in implementing CLT in English language classrooms. The results indicate that there are several intertwined problems which limit the effective implementation of CLT, namely the mismatch between problem the National Curriculum and English textbook, students’ resistance to communicative activities, the persistence of Grammar Translation Method (GTM) in teaching and learning English, limited teacher training, large class size, limited teaching time, examination system based on memorization, high teaching workload, and insufficient teaching materials. Institutional demands, examination pressure and poor infrastructural facilities are reported to hinder effective communicative English teaching. These ask for traditional teaching practices. The study concludes that the implementation of CLT in the context of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faces systemic, pedagogical and materials related barriers. The study suggests changes in textbook revision, teacher training, class size, reforms in the examination system, enhancement of resource support, and creation of monitoring mechanisms for effective CLT based teaching.
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