Paraphrasing

CHAPTER FIVE: TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION OF THE CLT APPROACH
Introduction
This chapter presents the findings of this study based on the data collected from the
teachers and students, through the semi-structured interviews and analysis of how the
property year and its materials influenced and guided the four Saudi English teacher
to use the CLT approach and how the student language effected after they joined the
property year. This study aimed to investigate the teachers’ perceptions of the CLT
approach to English language teaching in the Saudi context and the students'
perceptions of the teachers' method approach that they use in the classrooms and
compare between them. The data were analysed and guided by the following research
questions: i) To what extent is the CLT approach used in developing each of the oral
and written skills (listening, speaking and writing) and teaching grammar? ii) What
are the teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the opportunities and the limitations
associated with implementing the CLT approach in teaching oral and written skills
(listening, speaking and writing) and grammar? This chapter investigates the teachers’
perceptions regarding university first year teaching and strategies for engaging the
learners. The chapter summarises the findings on the teachers’ teaching preferences
and the teaching methods they used when teaching the first level stage at the
university. This chapter highlights how the use of the communicative approach can
create interactive settings and motivate students to use the target language in
preparation for real-life situations. Thus, the chapter will discuss the teachers’
perceptions about the communicative and interactive approaches, their beliefs about
their teaching methods and the classroom’s limitations regarding the use of CLT, their

positive beliefs about interactive methodology, and their concerns about obstacles to
implementing the interactive approach in the classroom. Moreover, it will examine
the teachers’ views of pair and group work, the use of the target language, the
influence of the textbook in guiding the teachers to use an interactive approach, their
views on the students’ motivation and engagement, and the teachers’ views regarding
giving feedback.
5.2 Communicative and Interactive Approaches
As illustrated in the literature review, the CLT approach defines language as a system
for communication, with the aim of developing learners’ communicative competence
(Richards and Rodgers, 2001). The suggestion therefore is that, when learning a
language, it is mainly learning not language structures but language functions (how to
do things with words). The role of the teachers is to assist their students by creating
the necessary skills for becoming independent learners (Richards, 2005). Dickinson
(1987) suggests that 99 providing learners with opportunities to practise language for
communicative purposes can support independent learning. Hence, CLT may
encourage a learner-centred approach, not only because the aim of such programs is
based on real-life needs and the communicative goals of the student, but also because
training in communicative approaches plays an important role in student learning, as
mentioned in the literature review (chapter 3). The teachers in this study were
questioned, during the interviews, about their perceptions of the CLT approach to
teaching and learning EFL. The data analysis suggests that each of the English
teachers interviewed had their own perception about the CLT approach (five teachers
teaching grammar, listening, speaking and writing) and, from their interviews and the
observations, three major themes emerged.

The first theme is ‘the teachers’ beliefs regarding their teaching methods and the
classroom’s limitations regarding the use of CLT’, the second theme is the ‘positive
perception of the CLT approach’ and the third theme is ‘obstacles to implementing
the CLT approach. Each of these themes will be discussed and examples will be given
to support the analysis below.

 Teaching methods
 Teaching method in the preparatory and public schools:
Being a teacher is an honourable occupation that adds to the world in meaningful
ways (Al-Seghayer, 2014). Teachers have their own aims as a teacher to accomplish
their job successfully. The four teachers in this study had their own goals as an
English teachers as well. When they were interviewed, they were very enthusiastic
about fulfilling their objectives