Speaker
Description
This presentation introduces a communicative language teaching (CLT) training course for pre-service university students preparing to become language teachers. Despite CLT’s theoretical prominence, it remains rare in Japanese classrooms, where grammar-translation methods dominate. The use of reflective activities, practice-teaching tasks, and structured lesson planning to develop an awareness and understanding of CLT fundamentals will be examined. While aimed at pre-service teachers, the issues discussed are of relevance to any educators training instructors in CLT approaches.
References
Smith, C. (2025). Challenges in English Language Education in Japan: Policy vs. Practice. European Journal of Education and Pedagogy, 6(2), 53-63. https://doi.org/10.24018/ejedu.2025.6.2.912
Keywords
training, communicative language teaching
Abstract
This presentation outlines the development of a communicative language teaching (CLT) training course for pre-service university students interested in becoming future language teachers. Despite its prominence in theory, CLT approaches to instructions remain relatively rare in Japanese teaching contexts, with the vast majority of students exposed to traditional, grammar-translation methods in Japanese high schools (Smith, 2025). Even when students have some exposure to CLT-based lessons, understanding the core principles of this approach, and developing the skills necessary to implement CLT effectively, can be challenging, particularly for those who lack teaching experience.
Attendees will be introduced to a range of reflective activities and practice-teaching tasks to promote both learners’ understanding of the fundamentals of CLT, as well as to develop the skills necessary to design and teach CLT lessons. Examples of written and discussion-based reflective tasks, teaching demonstrations, and structured approaches to planning and designing CLT activities will be discussed, along with methods for supporting students in the autonomous development of CLT lessons. While this course focuses primarily upon pre-service teacher teachers, it will be of interest to educators responsible for training instructors the fundamentals of CLT in various contexts.
Short summary
This presentation introduces a communicative language teaching (CLT) training course for pre-service university students preparing to become language teachers. Despite CLT’s theoretical prominence, it remains rare in Japanese classrooms, where grammar-translation methods dominate. The use of reflective activities, practice-teaching tasks, and structured lesson planning to develop an awareness and understanding of CLT fundamentals will be examined. While aimed at pre-service teachers, the issues discussed are of relevance to any educators training instructors in CLT approaches.
| Scheduling preference | Anytime on Saturday |
|---|---|
| Title | Developing a CLT Training Course for Pre-Service Teachers |