Application of C.L.T & eclectic method for teaching English in Tertiary level in private Universities of Bangladesh: implications, influences, changes and constraints

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to figure out the contextual application of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and eclecticism and compare some perspectives of learning settings related to private educational institutions. (Reference: some private universities where I taught and some others). This study intends to draw the picture of real-life teaching experiences in these private universities. My focus will be on the justification of practicing all four skills, especially listening and speaking skills through Communicative Language Teaching and eclecticism. It is all about a teacher’s unique innovations and his/her own creations to cover up all skills in one lesson. This study attempts to investigate some new innovative techniques and activities which have been applied in learning and acquiring English in my classroom sessions. Some of the students were given some tasks and they were asked to follow some instructions given. They became interested in accomplishing all the tasks and learned lessons promptly. My goal is to talk about how successful a teacher can be to introduce a new technique. For example, teachers are suggested here to practice on the basis of ‘realia’ like playing and listening to songs and music videos as innovative texts to exercise for all skills. At last, the general purpose of this paper is to discuss a very authentic new technique, its future implications, results, problems and solutions. To talk about these, limitations of all other single methods and some previous and current practices will be mentioned to investigate learners’ needs on the basis of “Needs Analysis”. Some solutions will be recommended and future implication will be suggested at the very end of this paper. To conduct this research, a comparative study based on questionnaire interviews, classroom tasks following objectives and materials, literature review was done to find out real problems of each private institution. Theoretical framework was based on Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), Morley’s (2001) model of interactive listening, Krashen’s (1981 and 1985) ‘input’, ‘Acquisition-Learning’ theory, Hilda Taba’s (1962) ‘Curriculum Development’ and Henry Sweet and Harold Palmer’s (1921) mixedmethods and eclectic approach, Wilga River’s “Teaching Foreign Language Skills, Eclectic Approach” (River, 1981). Creswell’s (2009) “Mixed method strategies’’ were used to collect and analyze data thematically and descriptively. A very simple random sampling method was used to select 20 universities from where 34 teachers and 86 students were sent two sets of three-point Likert scale questionnaires of closed questions and some open questions through google forms online. The study was conducted for 24 weeks to collect and organize data. Google online form responses were used to collect all of the data. Three main instruments, (e.g. integrated open and closed questionnaire, semi-structured 10 interview and class assignments) were used to collect the data. Both descriptive statistics (e.g. percentage following APA style) and inductive-deductive data coding scheme are used to analyze data. Semistructured interviews among faculties provided some perception about effective application of eclectic method. The results indicate that both CLT and Eclectic method have a significant impact on language pedagogy of the post method era, students’ performance on the basis of comparing previous traditional methods and new methods. In doing all these, this paper interprets how CLT along with eclectic methods is justified through the analysis of real-life classroom environments. How all the practices and techniques are followed in classroom teaching and learning is a major concern of this investigation. What are some obstacles to learning in a different way avoiding conventions? -is an inevitable relevant question too. The findings of the study are about the struggles and constraints of learners learning in a new situation because of their poor background knowledge about a second language. Many affective factors and others reasons are responsible for their impediments in learning. The implied suggestion is to take some initiatives to get rid of these problems and make connections between what the teacher follows in the classroom and what the students are actually exploring. To ensure the best quality education with best performance of the students can be a future implication.