Teachers’ implementation of Communicative Language Teaching approach in primary school English language classrooms in Tanzania

Abstract

This study presents findings on how teachers implement the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach recommended in the English subject syllabus for primary education in Tanzania. It employed a qualitative approach and phenomenology design to explore the teachers’ experiences in using the CLT approach. It involved five public schools that had performed better in Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) in four consecutive years (NECTA, 2013 2016). Data were collected through interviews with subject teachers, head teachers, ward educational officers (WEOs), and district education quality assurers (DEQAs). The study also conducted classroom observations. The analysis reveals that although teachers could explain the CLT techniques stipulated in the subject syllabus, most of them could not use the CLT techniques when observed in classrooms. Moreover, large class sizes, teachers’ insufficient language proficiency, and inadequate teaching and learning resources hindered them from implementing the CLT approach effectively. Furthermore, the study found that the teachers employed the translation method involving Kiswahili and English. This implies that the CLT approach was implemented before sufficient training was provided to teachers. Therefore, the government should allocate adequate financial resources annually to train teachers in contextually relevant methodologies for better English results in primary schools in Tanzania.