Exploring the Awareness and Feasibility of Communicative Approaches in English Language Instruction: A Case Study of the Selected Higher Secondary Schools in Pakistan

Abstract

English, the global language of communication, entertainment, education, and career opportunities, has tremendous demand in countries such as Pakistan. However, despite being educated in and through English, many people lack adequate proficiency to communicate in English meaningfully. One reason for this is the language teaching methodologies teachers employ to teach English. Although the world over there has been a pedagogical shift from traditional language teaching approaches to methodologies that incorporate Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), government educational institutions in Pakistan still mostly adhere to traditional methodologies. This study, therefore, aimed to examine the status of CLT at the selected higher secondary schools in Pakistan. Specifically, it aimed to analyze the extent to which teachers are aware of the CLT approaches and techniques and to investigate the perceptions of English language teachers about the applicability of CLT at higher secondary levels in Pakistan. Both quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews) instruments were used to collect data from 30 teacher participants. Quantitative data was analyzed through Google Sheets software, whereas qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings indicated that teachers had sufficient knowledge of CLT and, despite contextual constraints, most of the teachers had favorable opinions regarding the applicability of CLT in Pakistan at the higher secondary level. The study has implications for bringing policy-level changes in English language teaching in Pakistan.

Keywords

• clt
• elt
• teacher perceptions
• teacher awareness
• higher secondary schools