Comparison of Communicative Language Teaching and Tasked-base Language Teaching 15 樊旋There are many different approaches to teaching foreign languages. In my paper, l will compare these two teaching methods- Communicative Language Teaching and Tasked-base Language Teaching. These two method is very popular in EFL. Communicative Language Teaching(CLT) Although it takes more effort and creativity on the part of the instructor, CLT is a much more effective tool in teaching foreign language in the classroom. In CLT, the instructor generally teaches the second language entirely in the foreign language, even at the early levels of learning. The students communicate to each other and the instructor using meaningful sentences, and grammar instruction is almost never explicitly taught, instead it is implicitly taught through activities which involve games, cultural artifacts, or props. The students are much more involved in CLT. With communication at the forefront of learning, the student, after several weeks, will already have an astounding ability to converse in the second language.This method is learner-centered and emphasizes communication and real-life situations. Language is used for communication. For this reason CLT makes use of communication to teach languages. The role of the instructor in CLT is quite different from traditional teaching methods.The teachers role in CLT: In the traditional classroom the teacher is in charge and controls the learning. In CLT the teacher serves as more of a facilitator allowing students to be in charge of their own learning. The teacher still sets up exercises and gives direction to the class but the students do much more speaking than in a traditional classroom. This responsibility to participate can often lead to an increased sense of confidence in using the language. The Students role in CLT: In CLT students practice everyday situations that involve communication such as asking someone for the time. Social ContextIn CLT students learn about language in social contexts such as the difference between speaking with an elder and a peer. In these exercises the goal is for the student to communicate his or her needs and thoughts without worrying about having perfect grammar. The advantages of CLT: Firstly, it allows learners to use the target language in meaningful contexts, thus bringing the real world into the classroom. Even at the Beginner level students want to learn English to communicate with people in their community. They want to be able to make an appointment with their GP in person or on the phone, give reasons for ailments, speak to their childrens teachers, ask for information or advice and to be able to speak with people in the community.Secondly, the advantage is that this approach can be adapted to any level ranging from Pre-Beginner to Advanced and is suitable for classes comprising students with different linguistic backgrounds and varying levels of communicative competence, thus allowing learners to interact with each according to their level of proficiency Thirdly, the advantage is that the CLT approach enables the teacher to step back and take on the role of facilitator. The teacher is able to observe individual learning through various tasks and is able to determine and respond to students need. Fourthly, Communicative Language Teaching offers many areas and resources for the student, which the more outdated methods fail to offer. By using Communicative Language Teaching in the classroom, the students will feel more involved in the learning process. They will be more motivated, and will potentially learn more of the language at large, as opposed to using a more outdated method.Disadvantages of CLT:The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach does not cater to learners who come from cultures with traditional educational systems and different learning styles. CLT does not focus on error correction. This is a disadvantage as learners are forced to practice with classmates who are not fluent in English. They do not like talking with students who make mistakes. They want to learn to say things correctly and be corrected by the teacher whenever they make an error. They find it frustrating to chat with learners from different countries because they find their accent, pronunciation and speech unintelligible. These students cannot see the value of CLT, become de-motivated and are often reluctant to participate in activities. Yet when these same students are given a role- play situation which relates to a meaningful context, they struggle because they cannot do it. Another disadvantage is that the CLT approach focuses on fluency but not accuracy. The approach does not focus on error reduction but instead creates a situation where learners are left using their own devices to solve their communication problems. Thus they may produce incoherent, grammatically incorrect sentences. The weaker learners who st