THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A SIMPLE COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING (CLT) APPROACH IN EARLY CHILDHOOD ENGLISH LEARNING

• Mahmudatul Farida

  Hamzanwadi University

  Author

• Fitri Kurniawati

  Hamzanwadi University

  Author

• Munawarah

  Hamzanwadi University

  Author

• Melina Sari

  Hamzanwadi University

  Author

Young children learn to speak and develop their language skills. However, there are psychological barriers that make young learners passive in Early Foreign Language (EFL) settings. This study assesses the adaptation of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) to first graders in SD Unggulan Hamzanwadi, and aims to fill the gaps in expanding CLT to beginners. Using the qualitative descriptive case study design, the researcher described and triangulated the data through classroom observations of four teachers, semi-structured interviews and documentation reviews. The primary findings suggest the teachers implement a “Simplified CLT”, primarily of the strategic hybrid model. This consists of a series of communicative drills designed to first teach target vocabulary, then, gamify the instruction through Total Physical Response (TPR) to songs and guessing games. This method appears to improve the enthusiasm of students and mitigate the anxiety they experience when speaking, however, the teachers reported problems with classroom management, and maintaining students’ focus during the activities. In concerning the findings, the paper determines that the rigorous parameters of CLT can be simplified to drilling/event based interactions with young learners. The results enable educators to build active, confidence stimulating lesson plans that improve pedagogical practice. Cognitive limitations and the communicative goals of the lesson pose challenges, but the findings also support practice that can balance these issues.

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