RE-CONCEPTUALIZING COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING FOR DEVELOPING INTERACTIONAL COMPETENCE AND AUTHENTIC LANGUAGE USE

Abstract

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has shifted language education from an emphasis on grammatical knowledge toward meaningful communication. However, many classroom implementations continue to rely on controlled dialogues, rehearsed role-plays, and predictable communicative tasks that may not adequately prepare learners for the complexity and unpredictability of authentic interaction. This conceptual study re-conceptualizes CLT by placing interactional competence and authentic language use at the center of language pedagogy. Drawing on a critical synthesis of research on communicative competence, interactional competence, conversation analysis, pragmatic competence, authentic language, task-based language teaching, classroom interaction, and interaction-focused assessment, the study examines the limitations of conventional CLT and identifies key practices required for effective interaction. The analysis emphasizes turn-taking, responsiveness, negotiation of meaning, clarification, repair, disagreement, pragmatic appropriacy, and contextual adaptation as essential dimensions of communicative ability. The study proposes an integrated framework in which authentic language input is followed by interactional noticing, pragmatic awareness, guided practice, task-based interaction, reflection, and interaction-focused assessment. The framework positions interactional competence as a dynamic ability developed through collaborative and context-sensitive language use rather than through linguistic production alone. The study argues that contemporary CLT should move beyond teaching learners what to say toward developing their ability to understand when, how, why, and in response to what they should communicate. The proposed framework has implications for English language teaching, curriculum design, textbook development, teacher education, and language assessment.