CLT aims to develop learners’ ability to use language in real-life situations and gives importance to interaction, meaning and fluency. In this method, language is treated as a tool to express ideas, share opinions and participate in real-life contexts.

It seeks to develop all four learning skills – listening, reading, writing and most importantly, speaking.

CLT was introduced in Bangladesh in the 1990s and was made compulsory in the national curriculum. The main goal was to produce learners who are competent in English and can use the language effectively in both academic and practical life. The curriculum was designed to move away from rote memorisation and grammar-focused learning. Instead, a more balanced and speaking-based approach was given priority. However, after several decades, an important question remains.

How many students have actually become competent in English through school education?

Students still struggle with basic communication in English. A prime example of that is the IELTS exam. When students need to take the test, they heavily rely on coaching centres despite learning English for 12 years in their school life. This indicates that CLT has not been fully achieved.

In many classrooms, the focus is still on writing and grammar. Speaking and listening, which are central to CLT, are often neglected. It is observed that although the pedagogic strategy has changed at the policy level, many teachers are not well equipped to implement CLT effectively. Teaching remains teacher-centred, where teachers deliver lectures and students take notes. Learners’ participation in classroom discussion is also very limited.

In many cases, students are not encouraged to speak, ask questions or express their ideas. It is also noticeable that many teachers continue to teach in the way they were taught. As a result, rote learning is still widely practised, even within a system that officially promotes communicative competence.

CLT requires a completely different teaching style and approach. Classrooms should be interactive and learner-centred. Teachers should act as facilitators and not an authority. Activities such as pair work, group discussion, role play and real-life communicative tasks should be used to engage the students. Moreover, errors made by students should be seen as a natural part of learning and not something to be constantly corrected or punished.

The limited success of CLT in Bangladesh can be linked to several factors. One major issue is the lack of proper school management. Large class sizes and heavy workloads make it challenging to conduct interactive activities. A manageable teacher-student ratio is highly necessary to maintain a CLT classroom. Moreover, without a clear understanding of CLT, teachers find it difficult to apply the method in their classroom.

The assessment system should also be modified as they heavily rely on writing and memorisation. Bangladeshi classrooms heavily rely on books; instead, it would be better to use authentic materials such as newspaper articles, menu cards or podcast videos for students’ real-life communication practice.

To make CLT more effective, several changes are needed.

Firstly, more trained teachers are required so that the burden on individual teachers can be reduced. Regular and practical training programmes should be arranged to help teachers understand and apply CLT principles. The curriculum also needs to be reviewed to ensure that it supports communicative goals in both content and practice. Special attention should be given to rural and underprivileged schools all over Bangladesh, as the majority of Bangladeshi students belong to that group. Secondly, assessment methods should be redesigned to include communication-based evaluation from an early stage.

This way, the fear of speaking English will be reduced from a young age. Many students face communicative exams very late in life, during tertiary level, and find themselves unable to speak properly in English. Students need to participate actively in class, in a more engaging and interactive environment, to become confident English speakers.

However, all of this will only be possible if there is an adequate teacher-student ratio in every school of Bangladesh.

CLT is a valuable and relevant approach for English language teaching in Bangladesh. However, its success depends not only on policy decisions but also on proper implementation.


Read part 1: https://tbsgraduates.net/education/understanding-english-teaching-methods-part-1-grammar-translation-method/