ELT Comparison

Structural Approaches Communicative Approaches

(the late 1960s) (from the 1970s)

Concept of System of structures and rules that It means to communication rather than
language must be learned systematically. just a system of rules. Emphasize that
Focus on teaching language language is best learned when it is
through grammatical patterns, used in meaningful and authentic
sentence structures, and contexts.
phonological rules before
emphasizing communication.

Concept of Should be systematic, teacher- Set of principles about the goals of

teaching centered, and focused on the language teaching, how learners learn
mastery of grammatical structures a language, the kinds of classroom
through repetition and drills. activities that best facilitate learning,
and the roles of teachers and learners
in the classroom.

Concept of Is a gradual, systematic, and habit- Process of mechanical habit formation.

learning forming process where students Good habits are formed by having
acquire language through repetition, students produce correct sentences
memorization, and reinforcement of and not through making mistakes.
grammatical structures. It suggests Errors are allowed as a part of learning
that learning occurs through process.
stimulus-response mechanisms and
the formation of correct habits.
Errors were to be avoided through
controlled opportunities for
production.

Teacher’s role Teacher's role is authoritative, Teachers had to assume the role of
directive, and central in the learning facilitator and monitor. Rather than
process. The teacher is responsible being a model for correct speech and
for presenting language structures writing and one with the primary
systematically, providing drills, and responsibility of making students
ensuring accuracy in students’ produce plenty of error-free sentences,
responses. the teacher had to develop a different
view of learners’ errors and of her/his
own role in facilitating language
learning.

Learner’s role Learner's role is passive, receptive, Learners had to participate in

and disciplined, focusing on habit classroom activities that were based on
formation, imitation, and accuracy. a cooperative rather than individualistic
Learners are expected to listen, approach to learning. Students had to
repeat, and memorize grammatical become comfortable with listening to
structures rather than engage in their peers in group work or pair work
 creative or spontaneous tasks, rather than relying on the
communication. teacher for a model. They were
expected to take on a greater degree
of responsibility for their own learning.

Type of Type of teaching: Gave priority to Type of teaching: It was argued that
teaching/learning grammatical competence as the learners learn a language through the
techniques and basis of language proficiency. They process of communicating in it, and
examples of were based on the belief that that communication that is meaningful
didactic
resources grammar could be learned through to the learner provides a better
direct instruction and through a opportunity for learning than through a
methodology that made much use grammar-based approach.
of repetitive practice and drilling. Learning techniques:
Use of deductive teaching in which ● Make real communication the
the students are presented with focus of language learning.
grammar rules and then given ● Provide opportunities for
opportunities to practice using them. learners to experiment and try
Learning techniques: Once a out what they know.
basic command of the language ● Be tolerant of learners’ errors as
was established through oral drilling they indicate that the learner is
and controlled practice, the four building up his or her
skills were introduced, usually in the communicative competence.
sequence of speaking, listening, ● Provide opportunities for
reading and writing. learners to develop both
Techniques that were often accuracy and fluency.
employed included memorization of ● Link the different skills such as
dialogs, question-and-answer speaking, reading, and listening
practice, substitution drills, and together, since they usually
various forms of guided speaking occur so in the real world.
and writing practice. Great attention Didactic resources: Task-completion
to accurate pronunciation and activities: puzzles, games, map-
accurate mastery of grammar was reading.
stressed from the very beginning Information-gathering activities:
stages of language learning, since it student-conducted surveys, interviews,
was assumed that if students made and searches in which students are
errors, these would quickly become required to use their linguistic
a permanent part of the learner’s resources to collect information.
speech. Opinion-sharing activities: activities in
Didactic resources: Accuracy which students compare values,
activities such as drill and grammar opinions, or beliefs. Information-
practice have been replaced by transfer activities: These require
fluency activities based on learners to take information
interactive small-group work. This that is presented in one form and
led to the emergence of a “fluency- represents it in a different form.
 first” pedagogy. Reasoning-gap activities: These
involve deriving some new information
from given information through the
process of inference, practical
reasoning, etc.
Role plays: activities in which students
are assigned roles and improvise a
scene or exchange based on given
information or clues.

Additional These approaches are useful in The teacher acts as a facilitator, not as
comments teaching specific terminology and the sole source of knowledge.
structures but neglect the ability of Student autonomy and collaborative
students to communicate within learning are encouraged.
their professional field. The transition from structural to
Teaching is highly teacher- communicative approaches began
controlled, with little room for driven by the need to prepare students
creativity or authentic interaction. to use English in real-life contexts, not
just to master grammatical rules.

Processed - based and product-based approaches

Processed - based approach Product - based approach

Concept Negotiation of Meaning: Outcome Orientation: Learning is driven by

Language emerges through achieving specific, predefined language
interaction and co-construction of products.
knowledge. Structured Mastery: Emphasis on replicable
Learner-Centeredness: forms and accurate production.
Emphasis on autonomy, reflective Competency Focus: Language competence
practice, and adaptive is defined by measurable, correct outputs that
communication strategies. follow established norms.
Dynamic Competence: Viewing
competence as evolving over
time, with an emphasis on fluency
and adaptability.

Assumptions • Language is acquired through • Mastery is best achieved when learners focus
active, social interaction. on producing accurate, well-defined language
• Fluency and communicative forms.
competence develop gradually as • Controlled practice and repetition foster
learners experiment with internalization of language rules.
language. • The final product (e.g., a text, dialogue, or
• Errors are seen as natural steps report) is the key indicator of language
in the learning process that lead competence.
to eventual mastery.
Techniques • Content-Based Instruction • Text-Based Instruction: Involves detailed
(CBI): Integrates language analysis and reproduction of specific texts or
learning with meaningful subject. dialogues.
• Task-Based Instruction (TBI): • Competency-Based Instruction: Organizes
Uses tasks (e.g., role plays, lessons around pre-defined learning targets
problem-solving, project work) and outcomes.
that require genuine • Uses drills, pattern practice, and structured
communication and adaptive repetition to achieve mastery.
language use.
• Emphasis on reflective practice.

Activities • Collaborative projects, surveys, • Controlled exercises like substitution drills,

or role plays that require on-the- gap-fills, and guided rewriting tasks.
spot negotiation of meaning. • Structured activities such as composing
• Open-ended discussions and formal letters, writing reports, or re-enacting
simulations where learners model dialogues.
experiment with language in • Tasks that culminate in a tangible,
authentic contexts. measurable product evaluated against rubrics.
• Reflective activities that
encourage iterative learning and
adjustment.

Feedback • Continuous, formative feedback • Feedback is predominantly corrective and

and that focuses on the process of summative, targeting the accuracy of the final
Assessment meaning-making and output.
communicative adaptation. • Evaluation is based on standardized rubrics
• Emphasis on learner progress, that measure linguistic precision, coherence,
strategic problem-solving, and the and adherence to established language norms.
ability to handle real-life • Emphasis on the product as evidence of
communication challenges. competence.
• Assessment is often process-
oriented.

Learner Role • Engages in collaborative and • Follows structured tasks and exercises
exploratory activities. designed to produce specific language
• Assumes responsibility for outputs.
negotiating meaning and • Concentrates on accuracy and the replication
reflecting on language use. of language patterns.
• Focuses on developing a • Learners’ progress is monitored against
personal communicative defined benchmarks and performance
repertoire over time. standards.

Teacher Role • Acts as a facilitator and guide, • Functions as an instructor and model,
designing tasks that stimulate delivering explicit instruction and corrective
authentic communication. feedback.
• Encourages reflection, self- • Guides learners toward achieving clearly
assessment, and learner defined language outcomes.
autonomy. • Provides summative feedback centered on
• Provides formative feedback the correctness and coherence of the final
focused on the process and product.
strategic negotiation of meaning
INDIVIDUAL DESCRIPTION: What your teaching is like nowadays and what kind of teaching you
would like to practice and why in the short term.

Azulim POV: In my experience interacting with students of chemistry, engineering and gastronomy, I
have seen how traditional methods of teaching English are not efficient. They learn grammar and
general vocabulary, but cannot communicate technical ideas, or simple sentences when they are in a
communicative situation which limits their professional performance. Repetitive books and exercises
do not prepare for real contexts, for example: an engineer needs to describe diagrams, not just
conjugate verbs. I believe that the teacher should be a guide, not a repeater of rules, use real materials
and hands-on activities that help students apply English in their context, reduce their anxiety, and share
ideas safely, in this way language becomes a tool for innovation, not a barrier. I believe that as teachers
we should be more versatile, because this way we can get our students to be prepared to face the
English language beyond the classroom.

Alitzel POV: Nowadays, the language teachers are trying to implement more contextualized activities
in which students get involved in real situations. But it is also true that there are more traditional teachers
who teach grammatical rules in a controlled and limited context. In my experience I considered that
language should be taught through communication. Sometimes the students learn the language by
memorizing grammatical structures, repeating and drilling, but when they need to put it into practice in
real contexts they struggle. Speaking also increases the student's confidence therefore the production
and use of language. So, if I had to choose a kind of teaching It would be communicative language
teaching because, I think you need to develop this confidence in your student to produce with no fear.

Yaritzy POV: From my point of view and my experience taking English courses, I noticed that teachers
use many approaches to teaching, and I consider it very difficult to use only one. However, specific
structural approaches are more common in teaching because grammar and structures are important to
learn. On the other hand, the communicative approach is more common in courses like English for
Specific Purposes, because the goal is for learners to be able to use vocabulary and develop language
in a specific context. Saying this does not mean that English for Academic Purposes does not use this
approach, as many teachers implement it. As a teacher, I would feel more comfortable using both
approaches with my students because it is very important to learn both grammar and structures as well
as the communicative aspects of language. However, thinking about my ESP students, I believe using
the communicative approach is more effective for their learning .