EFL Teachers’ Attitudes toward Communicative Language
Teaching in Taiwanese College
Ming Chang
Minghsin University of Science and Technology Taiwan
Bio Data:
Ming Chang was born in Tainan, Taiwan. She earned her Ed.D. from Texas
A & M University –Kingsville in USA. Now she is an Assistant Professor
in Language Teaching Center at Minghsin University of Science and
Technology in Taiwan. Her research interests include TEFL and EFL
teacher training.
Abstract
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) advocates teaching practices
that develop learners’ abilities to communicate in a second language. It
represents a change of focus in language teaching from linguistic structure
to learners’ need for developing communication skills. In recent decades,
many English as Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms have adopted CLT
into their curricula. The study is motivated by the review of previous
literature showing that although teachers’ attitudes play a crucial role in
revealing their thinking about CLT and their implementation of CLT in the
classrooms, few studies have focused on teachers’ attitudes toward CLT in
a particular EFL setting, Taiwan. The study aimed at investigating
Taiwanese college teachers’ attitudes toward CLT and the reasons behind
attitudes the teachers held toward CLT.
An explanatory mixed method was used in the study. It was a two-phase
research design, starting with quantitative data collection and analysis,
followed by qualitative data collection and analysis. The qualitative phase
was used to explain the results of the quantitative phase. The results of this
study indicated that the teachers held favorable attitudes toward principles
of CLT and displayed characteristics of CLT in their beliefs. Also, the
results demonstrated that Taiwanese college English teachers believe CLT
can make English teaching effective and meaningful.
Keywords: Communicative Language Teaching, Communicative
Approach, EFL, Teachers’ attitudes
Introduction
In recent decades, teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) have
been encouraged to implement Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
to help develop students’ abilities to use English appropriately in context.
CLT advocates teaching practices that develop communicative competence
Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011
18
in authentic contexts (Larsen-Freeman, 2000). To improve students’
abilities to use English in real contexts, CLT has been adopted in the
settings of EFL colleges (Littlewood, 2007). However, the theories and
practices of CLT have faced various challenges in many EFL contexts
(Anderson, 1993; Ellis, 1996; Li, 1998; Liao, 2000; Takanashi, 2004; Yu,
2001).
It is clear that teachers’ attitudes are important in their decision to
implement CLT.
The reason for the mismatch between CLT theory and practice may be
teachers’ attitudes (Karavas-Doukas, 1995). Since teachers’ attitudes reveal
teachers’ thinking about teaching language, the investigation of teachers’
attitudes serves as a starting point to identify the possible contradictions
between teachers’ beliefs and CLT principles. Littlewood (1981) suggests
that the idea of the communicative approach may conflict with EFL
teachers’ existing thoughts about teachers’ roles and teaching methods.
Thus, to implement the relatively new communicative approach in Taiwan,
it is important to investigate Taiwanese college teachers’ attitudes toward
CLT.
Literature Review
Communicative Competence
The concept of communicative competence was proposed by Hymes, who
claimed that the study of human language should place humans in a social
world. The definition of “communicative competence” is what a speaker
needs to know in order to communicate in a speech community (Hymes,
1972). For example, in the real world, not only would a speaker produce a
grammatical sentence, but he/she should consider the situation in which the
sentences are used. According to Hymes (1972), competence should be
viewed as “the overall underlying knowledge and ability for language
which the speaker-listener possesses” (p. 13). That is, the concept of
communicative competence involves knowledge of the language and the
ability to use the knowledge in context.
Hymes (1972) proposed four sectors of communicative competence.
First, “whether or not something is formally possible” refers to the notion
Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011
19
of grammatical competence. It is concerned with whether an utterance is
grammatically correct. Second, “whether something is feasible” deals with
its acceptability in addition to being grammatically possible. For example,
some grammatical sentences cannot be part of competence because of the
restricted ability of human information processing. Third, “whether
something is appropriate” means that a sentence should be appropriate to
the context in which it is used. Finally, “whether something is in fact done”
implies that a sentence may be grammatically correct, feasible, appropriate
in context, but have no probability of actually occurring (Hymes, 1972, p.
14).
Communicative competence is a complex notion that involves linguistic as
well as sociocultural sectors. From proposed definitions, it can be
concluded that communicative competence consists of knowledge of
linguistic rules, appropriate language usage in different situations,
connection of utterances in a discourse, and strategies to cope with for the
use of language.
The Historical Background of CLT
The emergence of CLT occurred at the time when language teaching was
looking for a change (Richards & Rodgers, 1986). Due to the
unsatisfactory traditional syllabus that failed to facilitate learners’ ability to
use language for communication, linguists attempted to design a syllabus to
achieve the communicative goals of language teaching (Richards &
Rodgers, 1986). Wilkins’s (1976) notional syllabus had a significant impact
on the development of CLT. To support the learners’ communicative needs,
Wilkins (1976) included communication function in a notional syllabus.
Notions refer to concepts such as time, sequence, quantity, location, and
frequency. Communicative functions refer to language functions such as
requests, denials, offers, and complaints (Wilkins, 1981). Based on the
notional syllabus, a communication language syllabus consisting of
situations, language activities, language functions, notions, and language
form was developed. As a result, the design of foreign language syllabus
focused on a learner-centered and communication-oriented language
instruction (Richards & Rodgers, 1986)
Characteristics and Principles of CLT
CLT has been popular and widespread in second and foreign language
teaching. It highlights a radical change of the traditional structured teaching
methods which have lived through history. Contrary to the teacher-centered
approach, in which teachers are regarded as knowledge givers and learners
as receivers, CLT reflects a more social relationship between the teacher
and learner.
The learner-centered approach gives students a sense of “ownership” of
their learning and enhances their motivation (Brown, 1994). CLT
emphasizes the process of communication and leads learners to different
roles from the traditional approach. The role of the learner is negotiator
between the self, the learning process, and the object of learning. Learners
are actively engaged in negotiating meaning by trying to make themselves
understood and in understanding others within the classroom procedures
and activities. In this way, they contribute as well as gain in an
interdependent way (Richards & Rodgers, 1986).
Teachers take particular roles in the CLT approach. First, the teacher
facilitates the communication process between all participants in the
classroom. The teacher is also a co-communicator who engages in
communicative activities with the students (Larsen-Freeman, 2000). In
addition, the teacher acts as analyst, counselor, and group process manager
(Richards & Rodgers, 1986).
Rather than emphasizing the explicit explanation of grammatical rules,
CLT pays less attention to the overt presentation of grammar (Brown,
2007). However, CLT does not exclude grammar. CLT suggests that
grammatical structure might be better understood “within various
functional categories” (Brown, 2007, p. 242). In CLT classes, both
accuracy and fluency should be taken into consideration in language
teaching, but the aim is to build fluency. However, fluency should not be
built at the expense of clear communication (Brown, 2007). During
fluency-based activities, errors are considered natural and tolerable
(Larsen-Freeman, 2000).
Conceptual Framework of Attitudes
Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) propose a conceptual framework of attitude
construct which consists of four categories: cognition, affect, conation, and
behavior. In the framework, attitudes are a function of beliefs. In other
words, beliefs have causal effects on attitudes. Typically, a person learns a
number of beliefs about an object by direct observation or information
from outside sources. People hold a set of beliefs about the object, and
these beliefs serve as the basis that determines their attitudes. (Fishbein &
Ajzen, 1975).
In the framework, attitudes are viewed to have influence on behavior.
Specifically, a person’s attitude toward an object affects the person’s
intentions to perform behaviors relating to that object (Fishbein & Ajzen,
1975). However, the relation between attitude and behavior depends on
particular conditions. That is, when the person thinks he/she has more
resources and fewer obstacles, he/she is more likely to perform the
behavior according to his/her intentions (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975).
Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) indicate that behavior can be determined by
intentions; intentions are the results of overall attitude, and attitudes are a
function of salient beliefs. However, these causal effects not only work in
one direction. Performance can provide new information that changes
beliefs, attitudes and intentions (Fishbein & Ajzen ,1975).
Teachers’ Attitudes toward CLT
Karava-Doukas (1996) suggests that the mismatch between the beliefs
and practices may contribute to the neglect of examining teachers’ attitudes
before implementing any new approach. That is, only promoting the
approach and trying to convince the teachers of the effectiveness of CLT
does not successfully change the teachers’ existing beliefs about language
learning and teaching. Researchers (Mangubhai et al, 1998) investigated
language teachers’ attitudes toward CLT in Australia. The results showed
that teachers held moderate attitudes towards five factors relating to CLT,
role of grammar, group work, error correction, learner role, and teacher
role. The highest scores fell in the area of learner role. This suggests that
the teachers think that the learners can contribute to their own learning.
Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011
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Similarly, in the study of Razmjoo and Riazi (2006), the teachers as a
whole expressed positive attitudes toward the five principles of CLT. The
teachers held strong views about CLT in the areas of grammar role and
teacher role. Karim’s (2004) survey study examined university-level EFL
teacher’s attitudes toward CLT in Bangladesh. The findings showed that
most teachers displayed positive attitudes toward the basic principles of
CLT. Also, the teachers were aware of the features of CLT and their
perceptions of CLT corresponded with their reported CLT practice (Karim,
2004).
In Italy, Hawkey (2006) applied both survey and face-to-face interviews
to investigate whether teachers agreed with the advantages of the
communicative approach in language teaching. The teachers stated positive
views about CLT such as “CLT improving learner motivation and interest”,
and “CLT improving communicative skills” (p. 247). In addition, teachers’
interviews suggested that the teachers were motivated to use pair-work
activities to meet the learners’ communicative needs (Hawkey, 2006).
Liao (2003) investigated high school English teachers’ attitudes toward
CLT in China. The first-phase survey study reported most Chinese teachers
are supportive of the implementation of CLT. The findings indicated that
among 302 participants, 94% responded favorably toward CLT and were
willing to practice it (Liao, 2003). In the second-phase interview study,
four interviewees were selected from survey participants who displayed
favorable attitudes toward CLT. The teachers expressed their agreement
with CLT such as, “the teacher should take into account the students’
need”, and “the aim of the class is to enable students to communicate easily
in real life situations” (p. 125).
Chang’s (2000) survey study in Taiwan investigated 110 high school
English teachers’ attitudes toward CLT and their practice of CLT. The
results showed that Taiwanese high school English teachers hold positive
attitudes toward CLT. Moreover, the teachers who hold positive attitudes
toward CLT tend to use more communicative activities in their classroom
practice. Liao’s (2003) case study investigated two high school teachers’
attitudes toward CLT and their CLT practice. The results indicated that the
teachers held strong beliefs and positive attitudes toward CLT. Their
Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011
23
favorable beliefs and attitudes led them to try out CLT in the classrooms
and adopt CLT successfully.
These research findings indicate that many EFL teachers display
favorable attitudes toward CLT and the teachers’ views seem to shift to a
more communicative paradigm. However, a number of studies point out the
teachers’ concerns about CLT. Hawkey (2006) reported that Italian
teachers of English think some correction of grammar and lexis errors is
necessary. Li’s (2004) study of Chinese teachers’ opinions at a tertiary level
indicated that the teachers thought that learners must be given feedback
when they produce L2 to modify their production. Since the students
already knew how to negotiate meaning in their first language, what they
needed to learn were words in order to use them in L2 (Li, 2004). The
interview data in Carless’s (2004) study revealed that some students used
the simplest linguistic forms to complete the tasks. Burnaby and Sun
(1989) reported that Chinese college students learn the knowledge of
English for future jobs in China, such as reading technical articles or
translation of documents (Burnaby & Sun, 1989). This view is confirmed
by Tsai’s (2007) study. Taiwanese teachers also thought that EFL students
have no immediate need to communicate in English. On the other hand,
they need grammar and reading skills in order to learn content knowledge.
Methodology
The main purpose of this study was to examine Taiwanese college teachers’
attitudes toward CLT and the rationales underlying their attitudes toward
CLT. To achieve this purpose, an explanatory mixed method research was
conducted. The first-phase quantitative study investigated teachers’
attitudes toward CLT, while the second phase qualitative study explored the
reasons underlying the teachers’ attitudes toward CLT. The two phases of
the research occurred sequentially where the qualitative data were used to
explain quantitative data (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007).
The question guiding the first-phase quantitative study was:
What are Taiwanese college teachers’ overall attitudes toward
Communicative Language Teaching?
The research question in the second-phase qualitative study was:
Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011
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What are the reasons underlying the teachers’ attitudes toward CLT?
Research Settings and Participants
In this first-phase survey study, the researcher first identified the
universities in southern Taiwan that integrate CLT into the curriculum, and
then took a random sample from these colleges and universities. The
teachers in each school constituted a cluster; all the teachers in the selected
schools constituted the sample. The first-phase quantitative study was
conducted in two selected colleges in Southern Taiwan and the sample
included fifty-five Taiwanese college English teachers.
The second-phase interviews aimed at explaining the first-phase
quantitative results. Thus, the follow-up interview sample was selected
from the population of the first-phase quantitative study. To learn the
participants’ in-depth thoughts and experiences, the researcher invited eight
teachers to take part in the follow-up interviews. The interviewees were
made up of eight teachers from the survey sample, four teachers from each
university.
Questionnaire
An attitude scale was used to investigate the participants’ attitudes toward
principles of CLT. It was originally developed by Karavas-Doukas in 1996
with five-point scales in the Likert format (See Appendix).
The interviews
Face-to-face, semi-structure interviews were conducted in order to
investigate the complexities of the participants’ perceptions and
experiences. During the interviews, the researcher asked the interviewees
predetermined, open-ended questions, but allowed flexibility concerning
follow-up questions.
Analysis of Data
Results of Research Question One
Research question one asked about Taiwanese college teachers’ attitudes
toward CLT. An attitude scale originally developed by Karavas-Doukas
(1996) to investigate EFL teachers’ attitudes toward principles of CLT was
Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011
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given to 55 full-time English teachers who agreed to participate in the
study from two selected universities. The participants were asked about
their degree of agreement with the statements in the attitude scale. During
the survey, the researcher administered the questionnaires, which include
the attitude scale and participants’ background information, to each
participant. The researcher collected 54 questionnaires from the teachers
who completed the questionnaires. Only one questionnaire was not
returned to the researcher. The teachers’ overall attitude scores were
computed with the method used by Karavas-Doukas (1996). Possible
scores for the scale ranged from 120 to 24, with a neutral point of 72.
According to Karavas-Doukas (1996), scores higher than 72 reflected
favorable attitudes toward CLT. In this study, the participants’ attitude
scores ranged from 73 to 111, with a mean of 83.77, and a standard
deviation of 7.86 (Table 2); therefore, it can be concluded that the
participants, as a whole, hold a favorable attitude toward CLT.
Table 1
Demographic Data for Survey Participants (N=54)
Participant n %
Highest level of education
Master degree
Doctoral degree
35
19
64.8
32.5
Major
English literature
Linguistics
TESOL
Others
5
10
27
12
9.3
18.5
50.0
22.2
Years of teaching experience
0- 5
6-10
14
12
25.9
22.2
Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011
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11-15
16-20
21-25
11
9
8
20.4
16.7
14.8
Table 2
Descriptive Statistics of the Attitude Scores (N = 54)
Min Max M SD
Score 73.00 111.00 83.77 7.86
In the questionnaire developed by Karavas-Doukas (1996), the items
were grouped according to five subscales, or principles of CLT (see Table
4.6). To investigate teachers’ attitudes toward the five principles of CLT,
descriptive statistics were utilized to calculate the mean and standard
deviation of each principle. In favorable items, the scale ranges from 5 to 1,
with 5 being “strongly agree” and 1 being “strongly disagree”. The
unfavorable items were recoded, so the positive end of the scale was 5.
That is, the closer the mean is to the value of 5, the more favorable the
teachers’ attitude. The results for the teachers’ attitudes toward the five
principles in the questionnaire are presented in Table 3.
Table 3
Teachers’ Attitudes toward the Five Principles of CLT (N = 54)
Principles M SD
Place/importance of grammar 3.55 .52
Group/pair work 3.32 .52
Quality and quantity of error correction 3.16 .47
The role of the teacher in the classroom 3.73 .53
The role and contribution of learners in the learning
process
3.52 .48
With the range from 5 “strongly agree” to 1 “strongly disagree”, Table 3
Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011
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suggests that the teachers as a group agreed with the five principles of CLT.
Among the five principles, the principle with highest mean was the role of
the teacher (M=3.73), followed by the role of grammar (M=3.55), and the
role of the learners (M=3.52). Error correction was indicated as the lowest
mean among the five principles (M=3.16).
Results and Discussion of Research Question Two
In the follow-up interviews, the interviewees further elaborated in their
own words regarding their attitudes toward CLT. Based on the findings
generated from the interviews, the reasons behind the interviewees’
favorable attitudes toward CLT can be summarized as follows:
1. CLT pays attention to both form and function
Based on the findings of this study, the teachers support CLT because it is
helpful to develop the students’ communicative competence as well as
linguistic knowledge. The teachers’ beliefs revealed that their teaching goal
is to develop the students’ communicative competence. Nevertheless, they
did not exclude teaching grammar. For them, both linguistic form and
communicative function are important because grammar serves as a basis
for communication to take place efficiently. The teachers’ perceptions echo
a number of researchers’ claims that there is value in a communicative
approach which involves grammar teaching (Fotos, 1998; Littlewood,
1974; Medgyes, 1986; Nunan, 2004; Nunan & Lamb, 1996; Savignon,
1997, 2001; Thompson, 1996). These studies indicated that communicative
language teaching does not mean the exclusion of teaching grammar rules.
2. CLT develops language abilities though use
The findings from the present study indicated that the teachers are in
favor of CLT because CLT focuses on the development of the students’
abilities to use the target language. The teachers believed that it is essential
to expose the students to the target language in order to acquire the
language. To accomplish this goal, group or pair work activities are
designed to promote communication in the classrooms. Communicative
activities can create authentic situations where communication takes place.
3. CLT takes into account the affective variables in language learning
Although the teachers reported CLT is effective in developing the
Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011
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students’ language skills, they took into account the affective as well as the
cognitive aspect of second language learning. The findings in the study
suggest that the teachers preferred CLT to traditional teaching methods
because CLT creates a safe and engaged learning environment. More
specifically, CLT not only enhances the learners’ English proficiency, but
creates a classroom atmosphere that encourages risk-taking and
cooperative relationship in groups.
4. CLT develops learner-autonomy in learning process
Drawn on the findings from the study, the teachers believed that CLT can
help develop learner-autonomy. The teachers in this study addressed the
importance of learner-autonomy in the language learning process. CLT
enables learners become autonomous when they take charge of their own
learning.
Conclusion
CLT represents the current trend of college English language education that
aims to develop learners’ communicative competence. Although teachers
play a crucial role in preparing students to communicate effectively in
various situations, few studies have focused on Taiwanese college teachers’
attitudes toward CLT. This study was motivated to investigate Taiwanese
college teachers’ attitudes toward CLT and their thinking and experiences
regarding CLT practice. The findings reveal that teachers hold a favorable
attitude toward CLT and display characteristics of CLT in their beliefs.
Based on the teachers’ teaching experience, the findings demonstrate that
CLT can make English teaching meaningful and interesting.
The present study found that the teachers dislike using traditional
grammar teaching that requires the students to memorize numerous
grammar rules. Instead, the teachers stated that CLT assists the students to
comprehend linguistic forms and use these rules for communication. From
the teachers’ perspective, communicative activities are helpful for the
students to practice rules in meaningful contexts.
In addition, different from the grammar translation method focusing
merely on reading skills, CLT considers four skills - listening, speaking,
reading, and writing as integrated skills, which should not be taught
Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011
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separately. CLT aims to develop students’ communicative competence. To
communicate effectively, the students are involved in different kinds of
activities that require practicing various skills to understand their peers and
make themselves understood by others.
Further, CLT creates a non-threatening language environment that lowers
the learners’ anxiety and make class input comprehensible. In the
classroom where CLT is applied, the students can develop their language as
well as social skills when they work together with their group members to
achieve a common goal.
Finally, in CLT, both students and teachers play different roles than those
in the traditional classrooms. Instead of waiting for the teacher to make
decisions for them, students take the initiative and responsibility for their
own learning. Instead of being spoon-fed by the teacher, the students can
explore knowledge themselves and find their own answer.
This study recommends possible directions for future studies. First, the
participants in the study are from two universities in southern Taiwan; thus,
the results cannot be generalized to other educational contexts. Further
studies may include teachers from universities from other EFL contexts.
Additionally, teachers’ attitudes are based on the teachers’ self-report in the
study. Future studies are recommended to examine teachers’ CLT practice
in more detail and to examine closely how teachers’ attitudes towards CLT
influence their practice of CLT.
References
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Appendix
Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011
32
Frequency and Percentage of Participants’ Responses toward the
Role of Grammar (N = 54)
Item SA A U D SD
1. Grammatical correctness is the most
important criterion by which language
performance should be judged.*
5
9.2%
28
51.9%
7
13.0%
12
22.2%
2
3.7%
2. Group work activities are essential in
providing opportunities for co-operative
relationships to emerge and in promoting
genuine interaction among students.
18
33.3%
34
63.0%
2
3.7%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
3. Grammar should be taught only as a
means to an end and not as an end in itself.
13
24.1%
33
61.1%
4
7.4%
4
7.4%
0
0.0%
4. Since the learner comes to the language
classroom with little or no knowledge of
the language, he/she is in no position to
suggest what the content of the lesson
should be or what activities are useful for
him/her.*
5
9.2%
22
40.8%
5
9.2%
14
25.9%
8
14.9%
5. Training learners to take responsibility
for their own learning is futile since
learners are not used to such an approach.*
10
18.5%
18
33.3%
7
13.0%
13
24.1%
6
11.1%
6. For students to become effective
communicators in the foreign language, the
teacher’s feedback must be focused on the
appropriateness and not the linguistic form
of the students’ response.
11
20.4%
25
46.2%
8
14.8%
9
16.7%
1
1.9%
7. The teacher as “authority” and
“instructor” is no longer adequate to
describe the teacher’s role in the language
classroom.
12
22.2%
25
46.2%
9
16.7%
7
13.0%
1
1.9%
8. The learner-centered approach to
language teaching encourages
responsibility and self-discipline and
allows each student to develop his/her full
potential.
11
20.4%
33
61.1%
9
16.7%
1
1.9%
0
0.0%
9. Group work allows students to explore
problems for themselves and thus have
some measure of control over their own
learning. It is therefore an invaluable
means of organizing classroom
experiences.
7
13.0%
31
57.4%
6
11.1%
10
18.5%
0
0.0%
10. The teacher should correct all the
grammatical errors students make. If errors
are ignored, this will result in imperfect
learning.*
7
13.0%
18
33.3%
8
14.8%
6
29.6%
5
9.3%
11. It is impossible in a large class of 6 20 10 15 3
Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011
33
students to organize your teaching so as to
suit the needs of all.*
11.1% 37.0% 18.5% 27.8% 5.6%
12. Knowledge of the rules of a language
does not guarantee ability to use the
language.
14
25.9%
35
64.8%
2
3.7%
3
5.6%
0
0.00%
13. Group work activities take too long to
organize and waste a lot of valuable
teaching time.*
3
5.6%
23
42.6%
7
13.0%
19
35.2%
2
3.6%
14. Since errors are a normal part of
learning, much correction is wasteful of
time.
4
7.4%
15
27.8%
8
14.8%
24
44.4%
3
5.6%
15. The Communicative approach to
language teaching produces fluent but
inaccurate learners.*
0
0.0%
17
31.5%
22
40.7%
14
25.9%
1
1.9%
16. The teacher as transmitter of
knowledge is only one of the many
different roles he/she must perform during
the course of a lesson.
12
22.2%
34
63.0%
2
3.7%
6
11.1%
0
0.0%
17. By mastering the rules of grammar,
students become fully capable of
communicating with a native speaker.*
6
11.1%
18
33.3%
11
20.4%
15
27.8%
4
7.4%
18. For most students language is acquired
most effectively when it is used as a
vehicle for doing something else and not
when it is studied in a direct or explicit
way.
6
11.1%
33
61.1%
13
24.1%
2
3.7%
0
0.0%
19. The role of the teacher in the language
classroom is to impart knowledge through
activities such as explanation, writing, and
example. *
2
3.7%
19
35.2%
3
5.6%
28
51.8%
2
3.7%
20. Tasks and activities should be
negotiated and adapted to suit the students’
needs rather than imposed on them.
13
24.1%
30
55.5%
5
9.2%
3
5.6%
3
5.6%
21. Students do their best when taught as a
whole class by the teacher. Small group
work may occasionally be useful to vary
the routine, but it can never replace sound
formal instruction by a competent teacher.*
4
7.4%
19
35.2%
13
24.1%
13
24.1%
5
9.2%
22. Group work activities have little use
since it is very difficult for the teacher to
monitor the students’ performance and
prevent them from using their mother
tongue.*
5
9.2%
22
40.8%
6
11.1%
16
29.7%
5
9.2%
23. Direct instruction in the rules and
terminology of grammar is essential if
students are to learn to communicate
effectively.*
5
9.2%
20
37.0%
7
13.0%
21
38.9%
1
1.9%
Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011
34
24. A textbook alone is not able to cater to
all the needs and interests of the students.
The teacher must supplement the textbook
with other materials and tasks so as to
satisfy the widely differing needs of the
students.
26
48.1%
25
46.3%
2
3.7%
0
0.0%
1
1.9%
SA=Strongly Agree; A= Agree; U=Uncertain; D=Disagree; SD=Strongly
Disagree
Unfavorable statements are indicated by an asterisk (*)
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