1. How do you interpret the idea of “communicating in English” in your case, as a learner of English?
For a learner of English who a studying in a non-English-speaking setting. “Communicating in English” means to experience real communicative situations in which I learn to express my own ideas, views and attitudes, and in which I am taken seriously as people. Meaningful communicative activities on my English level will improve my language performance and generate my interest.
2. Appropriacy of language use has to be considered alongside accuracy. What implications does this have for attitudes to errors?
This has some implications for attitudes to errors. Since both appropriacy and accuracy are important in language use, we should pay the same attention to these two aspects. If one’s language production is appropriate, but dotted with a lot of grammar errors, communication would be affected. On the other hand, if one’s language production is correct in grammar, but not appropriate in use, e.g. the wrong address form, communication would not be as effective as expected either. Therefore, we should be tolerant to the students’ errors which do not affect communication, and be strict to those which interfere with communication and cause ill effect of ill feeling in other communicators.
3. Does it always matter if the “real world” is not being practiced in the classroom? Why?
The ideal language learning setting is to practice language as it is used in the real world. Since learners will have to use the foreign language in real communication outside the classroom. However, it is not always possible to do so because classroom setting is after all different from the outside world no matter how hard we try to simulate the real-world situation. And it is not always necessary to do so. Language learning and language teaching are considered at several stages. At the drilling stage, when the focus is on language form, the real-world situation does not have to be practiced. But when the focus is on language communication and learners are engaged in communicative activities, the real-world situation does matter much. It is where learners learn to use the foreign language for real communication, and to use it appropriately and accurately.
4. How to understand the relationship between the grammatical forms of a language and their communicative functions?
The relationship between the grammatical forms of a language and their communicative functions is not a o ne-to-one correspondence. Whereas the sentence structure is stable and straightforward, its communicative function is variable and depends on specific situational and social factors. The fact is that a single linguistic form can express a number of functions, so also can a single communicative function be expressed by a number of linguistic forms. In a communicative perspective, this relationship is explored more carefully, and as a result our views on the properties of language have been expanded and enriched.
5. How to understand the statement “form and function operate as part of a wider network of factors”?
The statement “form and function operate as part of a wider network of factors” means when we communicate, we use the language to accomplish some functions, such as arguing, personalizing, or promising. Moreover, we carry out these functions within a social context. A speaker will choose a particular way to express his thought not only based on his intent and level of emotion but also on whom he is addressing and what his relationship with that person is. For example, he may be more direct in arguing with his friend than with his employer. In other words, real world language in use does not operate in a vacuum. When we give advice, we do so to talking about language function and language form, there are other dimensions of communication to be considered if we are to be offered a more roles of people involved. So, the orientation of the teaching is essentially toward the purposes and social uses of communication, rather than the understanding of language form.
6. How to materials handle the relationship between grammar and communicative function? For instance, is a “function” taught together with several grammatical forms, or just one?
Alternatively, is a “function” just used as an example where the main focus is on teaching grammar? Do this point according to what your teaching materials are used. You may refer to the key to No. 2 point above, and analyses the factors using a communicative perspective.
7. Is the Communicative Approach a useful one for all proficiency levels, particularly for beginners?
Generally speaking, the Communicative Approach can be a useful teaching method for all proficiency levels. The Communicative Approach emphasizes that the goal of language learning is communicative competence. We can make use of whatever learning and teaching techniques which help the learners develop their communicative competence. On condition that we follow the basic principles of the Communicative Approach, such as information gap activities, meaning-based communication, authentic materials, our language learners would achieve the goal of mastering a foreign language. Even if with beginners, we can still use the approach