The communicative approach in the teaching of English in Maltese primary schools

Abstract

The proposed study was implemented between January and June 2002 and it was designed as a direct classroom intervention programme. It included 48 pupils from three State Primary Schools in the Inner Harbour Area. The study searched recent developments of the Communicative Approach and investigated the effectiveness of the communicative techniques in encouraging pupils to communicate better in English and improve their overall achievement. Questionnaires, interviews, tests and classroom observations were used as research instruments for data collection. The research outcomes revealed that the programme was successful in improving pupils' communicative skills, in enhancing their self-esteem, in increasing their motivation and in creating a learning environment by promoting the use of language in real-life situations within social contexts.