ABSTRACT
The focus of this study was to develop and validate Communicative LanguageBased Modules in Oral Communication. This study followed the design and development research method. The respondents of the study, who were chosen through a simple random sampling technique, were 30 Grade 8 learners from Casile Integrated National High School who underwent the pretest and posttest of the developed CLT-based Modules were considered. Validators of this study were one master teacher, two Learning Resource coordinators, one English coordinator, and six English teachers from different schools. Using the four-point Likert Scale, simple mean, and t-test for independent samples. The findings revealed that the developed and validated CLT-based Modules were highly valid in terms objectives, topics, directions, and exercises. Similarly, the results of the assessment made by the experts on the level of acceptability in terms of functionality, accuracy, suitability, usability, and efficiency were all highly acceptable. There was significant difference between the pre-test and post-test of the learners. Thus, the CLTbased Modules can be used as instructional material that can help students develop their communicative competence. Exercises and CLT activities were equipped with real-life situations which will encourage students to use their natural strategies to produce meaning and allow them to use the language for different purposes and function.
Keywords: Communicative Language Teaching Approach, communicative competence, modules, CLT activities
INTRODUCTION
In 2020, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic. The virus was first identified as COVID-19 in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. It is a communicable disease where an infected person may experience mild to moderate respiratory illness. Abruptly, everything changed. Both global and national societies were affected. Several countries declared a total lockdown which created significant challenges among their citizens. It caused the economy, people’s livelihood, job, health, and the like to stop. One of the most affected since the pandemic started is the education systems. All the students including the teachers and other non-teaching personnel needed to work at home to prevent the spread of the virus.
Dubey and Pandey (2020) stated that in higher educational institutions in India, access to technology, paradigm shift, and preparedness for delivery of new modality were included among those challenges posed by the pandemic. The study showed that students were put in the situation where it is very difficult for them to suddenly change their thinking process as well as to participate in distance education knowing that majority of them came from rural and low-income communities. Another, it was stated that not all teachers were fully prepared for the new learning mechanism.
Nevertheless, here in the Philippines, the entire schools did not allow the situation to stop the students from learning. The Department of Education and other governing bodies in the education sector provide ways on how to continue education without putting the students’ lives at risk. The Department of Education addressed challenges through Learning Continuity Plan (LCP), which was their foremost resolution to resume education for another approaching school years and to guarantee the safety and health of the learners, teachers, and other school’s stakeholders during pandemic. Meanwhile, there was much talk about the new normal in education. In new normal education, the use of blended learning was once introduced. Blended learning can be apprehended through Modular Distance Learning (MDL), Online Distance Learning (ODL), and TV/Radio-based Instructions.
Most schools, especially private schools, prepare for online classes. Unfortunately, not all of them have internet connectivity, especially those who are living in rural area. In this case, modular distance learning is the only option. A module contains the different topics of each learning area, activities or task, and assessments where the students need to accomplish on their own with the guidance of parents or guardians at home. Comparatively, Anzaldo (2021) stated that the usage of modules created by teachers with various tasks and learning activities based on the essential learning competencies was known as modular distance learning. Clearly, teachers were the ones who made adjustments for planning, making, and implementing of learning modules to address the teaching and learning continuity in the new normal in education.
In view of this, the researcher developed a Communicative Language-based Modules in Oral Communication for the benefit of the students and the school itself. The developed CLT-based Modules aimed to improve students’ capacity to make proper decisions about communication goals and tactics, as well as their ability to attain those goals through effective and ethical communication behaviors. Also, the study considered a more comprehensive, fun, relatable and real-life enrichment activity. The researcher utilized the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) as an approach and as a springboard for the developed modules of the subject.
Sanako Blog (2021) discussed that Communicative Language Teaching was an approach emerged in 1980s that would enable learners to utilize the second language for most of the real-life circumstances. Through repetitive oral practices and learner to learner cooperation, and teacher as a facilitator, communicative language instruction aimed to train students to be confident communicators in a variety of real-life situations.
Furthermore, this paper looked on the different studies such as developmental studies where CLT was being used as the foundation of creating learning materials. Most of the study focused on what and how to teach CLT when incorporating in the teaching process as well as on the developed materials. Also, some studies were outdated. There was little emphasis given on Communicative Language Learning. There was no concrete conclusion and evidence of how the language learners were able to master the language in doing the communication with the aid of CLT-based materials.
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