From Theory to Classroom: Examining Communicative Language Teaching Practices in Iraq

Abstract

Although the Ministry of Education in the Kurdistan region of Iraq decided to adopt communicative language teaching (CLT) to improve the English language competencies of Iraqi students, implementing this approach poses significant challenges for Iraqi English language teachers. This study examines the obstacles these teachers face. This study aims to identify the main challenges that hinder the implementation of CLT and how these challenges impact classroom practices, mainly in teaching speaking skills. It also seeks to understand the contradictions between teachers’ theoretical understanding of CLT principles and their classroom practices of such principles. The first data collection phase was conducted through interviews with 10 English language teachers. Following that, classroom observations of 16 teachers were conducted to examine their classroom practices and activities. Finally, an online questionnaire of 38 items was distributed to the teachers to explore the issue. The findings reveal that even though English language teachers acknowledge the benefits of CLT, they face challenges such as limited recourses, insufficient training, contextual and societal expectations factors such as large classes, grammar-oriented examination system, and students' language proficiency that hinder its successful implementation. Additionally, there are inconsistencies between teachers’ theoretical understanding of CLT principles and their classroom practices. These inconsistencies emerge from different sources, including the suitability of CLT for the Iraqi context and teachers' lack of understanding of its principles. They are also due to a lack of practical training, student-related factors including motivation, and student assessment systems that heavily rely on assessing Grammar and vocabulary. The study finds that teaching speaking is neglected, and the teachers rarely incorporate communicative activities in their classrooms. As a result, Iraqi classrooms can be considered genuinely communicative. This study contributes to the existing teaching methodologies and offers practical recommendations for policymakers to enhance the effectiveness of CLT in Iraq.