Community language learning

(CLL)
TEACHER : FADI

Mohammed al-sharabi
Community Language Learning (CLL) is a learner-centered

language teaching approach that was developed in the

1960s by Charles Curran. The basic principles of CLL focus

on creating a supportive, anxiety-free environment

where students can feel comfortable practicing and

experimenting with the target language. At the heart of

CLL is the belief that language acquisition is best achieved

through cooperation and communication between

learners, with the teacher taking on the role of facilitator

rather than instructor.

What is community language learning:
Community Language Learning (CLL) is a communicative, student-
centered language teaching approach developed by Charles
Curran in the 1960s. At its core, CLL aims to teach language in a
way that reduces student anxiety and fosters a sense of
community in the classroom. In CLL, students work
collaboratively in small groups, typically 6 students or less, to
practice and develop their language skills together with the
guidance of a teacher-facilitator. Within these groups, students
utilize recordings of their own speech to self-correct, build
comprehension, and increase fluency at their own pace without
direct correction from the teacher. The focus is on using the
target language to express real meanings and communicate
ideas, rather than grammatical perfection. By emphasizing
fluency over accuracy and creating a psychologically safe space
where risks can be taken, CLL aims to lower the "affective filter"
that can block language acquisition when students feel stressed
or embarrassed. In this way, CLL strives to develop learner
autonomy and confidence through cooperation instead of
competition.
Basic principles of CLL:
- Student-centered approach: The needs, interests and learning
processes of the students are at the center. The teacher acts as a
counselor/facilitator rather than instructor.

- Low-affective filter environment: The goal is to reduce language

anxiety and create a supportive, confidence-building setting
where students are not afraid to make mistakes.

- Cooperative learning: Students work in small groups to learn

from each other through shared experiences and providing
feedback/support amongst peers.

- Meaning over form: Fluency and verbal expression of

ideas/opinions are prioritized over grammatical perfection.
Students practice communication rather than recitation of rules.

- Self-correction: Students record their speech and self-monitor

for errors, with guidance from the teacher/peers. This is non-
threatening compared to direct correction.
- Learner autonomy: Students take responsibility for their own
progression by identifying gaps, setting goals and determining
practice topics based on personal interests.
- Risk-taking: The low-stress environment encourages students to
experiment with language forms without fear of judgment,
allowing creative language exploration.

- Group dynamics: Interpersonal connections are valued for

motivation. Positive relationships support learning through active
listening, feedback and socialization.

The role of the teacher

the role of the teacher differs greatly from a traditional classroom
setup. Some key aspects of the teacher's role in CLL include:

- Counselor/Facilitator: The teacher acts more as a guide and

counselor, creating a supportive environment for learning rather
than directly instructing.

- Emotional supporter: The teacher helps build students'

confidence and reduces anxiety by providing encouragement,
praise and creating a welcoming community.

- Observer: The teacher circulates between groups, observing

interactions and language use without interfering or correcting
errors directly.
- Advisor: Students are encouraged to self-correct using
recordings, but the teacher advises, clarifies and suggests
strategies without imposing fixes.

- Respects autonomy: Students take responsibility for their

learning while the teacher respects their choices, interests and
pace without judgment.

- Relationship builder: Positive relationships between

teacher/student and among peer groups are fostered through
active listening and cultivating trust.

- Flexible facilitator: Lessons are student-led based on their needs

and curiosity. The teacher adapts flexibly instead of sticking
rigidly to plans.

- Creates opportunities: The teacher provides prompts, questions

and activities to encourage language production and group work.
The importance of group dynamic and
cooperation between students
Group dynamics and cooperation between students are
extremely important aspects of the Community Language
Learning approach. Here are some points around their
importance:

- Psychologically safe environment: Small groups allow students

to build rapport and feel more comfortable taking risks with
language production.

- Interdependence: Students rely on each other for practice,

feedback and encouragement. This fosters cooperation instead of
competition.

- Relationship building: Positive social interactions help reduce

anxiety. Students are motivated to keep engaging for their peers'
learning too.

- Shared responsibility: Students learn from each other through

collaborative problem-solving. They share the load of ensuring all
group members progress.
- Peer modeling: Observing others and modeling their speech
provides influx of diverse vocabulary and language structures.

- Immediate feedback: Students can get instant feedback from

peers, which is less intimidating than from teachers. This helps
identify errors immediately.

- Autonomy support: Groups provide dependable feedback

networks so students feel supported to explore language
autonomously.

- Enjoyment factor: Fun group dynamics including bonding over

shared learner experiences increases student buy-in and
motivation long-term.

- Diversity of approaches: Varied learning styles within groups

help cater to different needs and increase overall comprehension.
Effectiveness of CLL
- Lower anxiety levels - Several studies have found CLL helps
reduce language anxiety and lowers students' affective filters.
This allows for better language acquisition.

- Increased willingness to communicate (WTC) - Research shows

CLL groups boost confidence and WTC compared to traditional
methods where students fear making mistakes.

- Better learning outcomes - The focus on meaningful expression

leads to stronger language outcomes than rote memorization of
grammar rules. Students retain more vocabulary.

- Higher autonomy - The student-centered approach promotes

independence and internal motivation to drive their own learning
at their own pace.

- Preference over traditional methods - Students generally prefer

CLL and report feeling more psychologically comfortable in the
low-stress environment.

- studends feel psychologically safer to take risks in a group work

sitting
- Long-term retention - CLL helps internalize language in a relaxed
way through cooperative practice. This supports retention of
skills beyond classroom lessons.

- Adaptability - As a flexible framework, CLL can be adapted for

different education levels and cultural contexts effectively.

- Cost-effectiveness - Minimal training is required for teachers to

facilitate versus traditional instruction-heavy methods.

Implementing CLL in the classroom

- Create a welcoming environment where students feel safe to
take risks without judgment.

- Divide students into small, mixed-level groups of 3-6 members

to encourage cooperation.

- In the first class, allow groups to get to know each other through
icebreaker activities.

- Meet with groups to understand their goals and interests to

guide initial vocabulary.
- Provide activities where students talk to each other in the target
language about meaningful topics.

- Students record each other speaking and playback to self-

correct without teacher input.

- Circulate between groups as a facilitator, observing and taking

notes to guide later.

- Have students set weekly goals and discuss progress/challenges

to build autonomy.

- Regularly rotate group members to experience different

classroom communities.

- Incorporate various media like images, video, audio to spark

spontaneous discussions.

- As proficiency increases, encourage activities like interviews,

role-plays, debates.

- Celebrate risk-taking, hard work and progress to motivate

further language exploration.

- Maintain flexibility to adapt lessons based on evolving student

needs and interests.
- Emphasize a positive, low-anxiety environment through
enthusiastic facilitation.

Challenges of using CLL

- Requires a different role for the teacher - Letting go of control
and acting as a facilitator can be an adjustment. Extensive
training may be needed.

- Time-intensive preparation - Planning learner-centered lessons

and activities takes more upfront work than textbook-based
teaching.

- Student resistance - Some students accustomed to teacher-led

instruction may be hesitant about autonomy and group work.

- Classroom management - Ensuring productive group dynamics

and cooperative behavior requires skillful supervision.

- Student discomfort - Opening up personally in a group setting

may cause shyness or vulnerability for some learners.
- Off-topic discussions - Without rigid structure, students could
veer into socializing instead of language practice.

- Mixed proficiency groups - Uneven skills in a group challenge

the fluid peer- teaching model of CLL.

- Technology reliance - Key aspects like recordings rely on

consistent access to functional equipment.

- Assessment difficulties - Measuring individual student progress

qualitatively is less clear than testing.

- Curricular misalignment - Mainstream use of testing, textbooks

does not sync well with CLL principles.

- Teacher isolation - Lack of training/resources means the CLL

teacher operates outside the mainstream approach.
how CLL can be adapted for different age groups

For young learners (ages 5-11):

- Keep groups small, 3-4 students, to encourage participation.

- Incorporate movement, games, songs and hands-on activities
into the lessons.
- Use visuals and props in addition to language.
- Have shorter practice sessions but more frequent meetings each
week.
- Assemble interactive materials like puzzles, pictures for
vocabulary building.

For teenagers (ages 12-17):

- Allow for social interaction and group projects like debates, role
plays, presentations.
- Discuss culture and topics relevant to their interests like music,
films, hobbies.
- Incorporate competitive elements like games to encourage
participation.
- Consider single-gender or mixed groups based on students'
comfort levels.
- Leverage technology and audio/video tools that teens are
familiar with.

For adults:

- Emphasize practical real-world applications like travel, career

etc.
- Mix group members of varying ages and backgrounds when
possible.
- Accommodate busy schedules with flexible meeting
times/locations.
- Encourage peer teaching and leadership roles for more
advanced speakers.
- Incorporate literary texts, news articles or case studies for
analysis.
- Consider workplace-focused activities for professional
development.

For seniors:

- Keep content topics engaging and memory-stimulating like

current events, history.
- Use large fonts and clear instruction materials that are easy to
see/hear.

- Provide gentle correction without embarrassment in a

supportive environment.

- Encourage sharing of cultural experiences and life histories.

- Consolidate previous language knowledge through review

activities.

- Keep sessions interactive through appropriate physical

movement and games.