Feature



Mohammad Shafiqul Islam

Communication is transferring information, ideas and emotions between individuals, groups or both. It is the exchange of information, news, ideas, etc. with somebody, and making one's ideas, feelings, and thoughts known to others, in the hope that they can be understood and identified with. Two dictionary definitions of communication are 'connecting' and 'evoking understanding'. If we think about 'connection' with someone, we take this to mean that we are on the same wavelength as the other person, that there is mutual understanding; so using communication to 'evoke understanding' is a very apt way of looking at it. If we have evoked understanding, our communication has been successful.

There are different categories in which various methods of communication might fit in. There are four broad categories, under which we can group more specific types of communication. These are Speech, Writing, Images and the Audible signals.

Improving communicative competence is very significant both in learning and teaching. If they lack the tactics of understanding one another, the basic purpose of communication becomes futile. Some salient points are discussed here so that both teachers and learners can benefit regarding the improvement of communicative proficiency.

Inspiring students to grow confidence

Students should be shown how to communicate confidently. They can communicate well if they have strong confidence. Teachers will find it worth their time if they have proper guiding capabilities. When classroom teachers communicate with newcomers, that communication must be comprehensible.

Students should be shown how to use drawings, gestures, actions, emotions, voice variation, chalkboard sketches, photographs, and visual materials to provide clues to meaning. Adding visual and kinesthetic support along with the language will provide additional input.

Students should be allowed the translation time while listening and speaking. It is natural that they translate the language they hear back to their native language, formulate a response and then translate that response into English.

Providing clues to meaning

Using drawings, gestures, actions, emotions, voice, chalkboard sketches, photographs and visual materials is important. If necessary, actions using the same simple structures should be repeated. Simplifying messages as much as possible, breaking them into smaller, more manageable parts is required. Student's attention should be highly focused. Insisting them to make eye contact while speaking does not bring good results. This is considered impolite in many cultures.

Modifying speech

Talking at a slow-to-normal pace, in short sentences; using a pleasant tone and simple sentence structure and high-frequency words is highly encouraged. Using names of people rather than pronouns is better. Pausing after phrases or short sentences is very useful. The rhythm of the language must not be distorted. Avoidance of using passive voice and complex sentences is a good sign. If a teacher has something important to convey, he or she should speak one-on-one rather than in front of the crowd. The anxiety of being in the spotlight interferes with comprehension. The teacher ought to ask simple yes/no questions so that students have an opportunity to respond. The teacher should patiently accept one-word answers or gestures.

Being an active listener

A teacher should give full attention to the students and make every effort to understand them. He or she should smile and talk in a calm, quiet manner. Raising voices does not help comprehension. Demonstration of patience through facial expressions and body language is excellent. The teacher must be willing to give the students extra time to respond. Encouraging new learners to act out or draw pictures to get their meaning across is to be affirmed. Jumping in immediately to supply the words for the student affects the learning process. If the student response is heavily accented, they should be corrected by giving them the proper pronunciation. The students should not be pressed to repeat the correct pronunciation. This can be very embarrassing. The teacher ought to resist the urge to overcorrect because this will inhibit students and they will become less willing to speak. The students must be allowed to use a bilingual dictionary so that they can eschew difficulties regarding some words or terms that cannot be acted out.

Frequent verification of comprehension

It is rather rude to ask students “Do you understand?” unless they have been taught the topic. This is not a reliable check since many students will nod “yes” when they don't really understand. The students should be taught the phrases “I don't understand,” “Slowly, please,” and “Please repeat.” The teachers will write down messages so that students have a visual as well as auditory input.

It is sometimes argued that grammar is not important in a communicative approach to language. We should take the view that communicative competence rests on a set of amalgamated skills, one of which is grammatical. There are several reasons for highlighting the communication aspects of learning English grammar. Every user of the language should remember that any second language is learnt to meet two-way requirements: aptitude in both speaking and writing. To achieve that aptitude a learner will have to follow the principles properly with the aim of learning through pleasure.

Lecturer, Department of English
Metropolitan University, Sylhet
E-mail: msijewel@gmail.com