Community Language Learning (CLL)

            CLL is a method of second and foreign language teaching developed by Charles Curran. CLL is an application of counseling learning to second and foreign language teaching and learning. It uses techniques developed in group counseling to help people with psychological and emotional problems. The method makes use of group these groups are the “community”. The method places emphasis on the learners’ personal feelings and their reactions to language learning. Learners say things which they want to talk about. In their native language, the teacher (known as “counselor”) translates the learner’s sentences into the foreign language, and the learner then repeats this other members of the group.

The Principles of CLL

    The basic principles of CLL can be described in processes by which language learners acquire a foreign language. The processes can be considered as stage in language learning.

Stage 1

            The client s completely dependent on the language counselor:

1.         First, he expresses only to the counselor and in his mother tongue what he/she wishes to say to the group. Each group member overhears this English exchange, but it is not involved in it.

2.         The counselor then reflects these ideas back to the client in the foreign language in a warm, accepting tone, in simple language in phrases of five or six words.

3.         The client turns to the group and presents his ideas in the foreign language.

Stage 2

1.         same as above

2.         The client turns and begins to speak the foreign language directly to the group

3.         The counselor aids only as the client hesitates or turns for help. These small independent steps are signs of positive confidence and hope.

Stage 3

1.         The client speaks directly to the group in the foreign language.

2.         Same as (3) above.

Stage 4

1.         The client is now speaking freely and complexly in the foreign language.

2.         The counselor directly intervenes in grammatical error, mispronunciation or where aid in complex expression is needed. The client is sufficiently secure to take correction.

Stage 5

1.         Same as IV

2.         The counselor intervenes not only to offer correction but to add idioms and more elegant constructions.

3.         At this stage, the client can become counselor to group in stage I,II, and III

The Procedures of CLL

1.         The class begins with an informal meeting and everyone introduces himself or herself.

2.         The knower makes a statement of the goal and guidelines for the course

3.         They form a circle so that everyone has visual contact with one another and everyone is within easy reach of the microphone of a tape recorder.

4.         A volunteer student initiates conversation with other students giving a message in their mother tongue.

5.         The knower goes and stands behind the student, whisper an equivalent translation of the message in the target language.

6.         The student repeats the message that has been translated into the target language and records his expressions in a tape recorder.

7.         Each student in the group has a chance to express his/her message and record them.

8.         The knower always stands behind the students who are saying their statement and translate their messages in the target language.

9.         The tape recorder is rewound and replayed at intervals.

10.      Each student repeats his message in the target language

11.      The knower chooses sentences to write on the blackboard that highlight some elements of language, such as grammar, vocabulary or pronunciations.

12.      The students may ask questions about any of the elements discussed.

13.     The knower encourages the students to copy sentences from the blackboard including the translation in their mother tongue.