Communicative language teaching: Possibilities and problems

Abstract

This paper investigates the teaching of English at undergraduate colleges in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India in the backdrop of Andhra Pradesh English Lecturers' Retraining Program. The program was jointly sponsored and conducted by the Directorate of Collegiate Education, Government of AP and the US State Department English Language Fellow Program. The main aim of the program was to update the teaching skills of English teachers of undergraduate colleges in the State. The program trained teachers to adopt Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) principles so as to enhance English language skills of their students. The paper attempts to identify the possibilities and problems in the implementation of CLT principles and techniques in these colleges. The results indicate that teachers should follow more learner centered ways in their teaching of English.