Journal of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (Jan 2004)
Arabic Instructors' Attitudes on Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
Abstract
This is a study on Arabic instructors' perceptions on some aspects of communicative language teaching. The data were gathered through an attitude scale and some focus group and one-on-one interviews in a major foreign language institute involving 96 Arabic instructors. The survey included a) the significance of grammar; b) error correction; c) pair and group work; and d) student and teacher roles dimensions of communicative language teaching. Discussion of the survey results in relation to these four constructs is followed by the discussion of emergent themes in these four areas in the interviews. We argue that the results of the study are revelations of teachers at certain time in their career, and more professional development could come true through carrying out action research projects.