EFL STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS LEARNING BY USING COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING (CLT) APPROACH IN EFL CLASS

Abstract

This study investigates the students’ perceptions of using the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms, focusing on students' perceptions, barriers, and the impact of CLT on academic achievement. This research addresses the gap in understanding EFL students' attitudes towards CLT, particularly in regions dominated by traditional teaching methods. This study addresses these questions: (1) what are the students' perceptions of learning by using CLT in their EFL classes? Moreover, (2) how learning by using CLT can improve the student’s learning achievements. This study explores students' perceptions of CLT and assesses its impact on their academic achievements. The study employs a qualitative case study design conducted with 53 students from the English Education Department at a university in Ciamis, West Java, Indonesia. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected through questionnaires comprising 26 questions (24 close-ended and 2 open-ended questions). These questionnaires were administered via Google Forms and included Likert-scale items to quantify perceptions and open-ended questions to gather in-depth insights. Data analysis involved transferring responses from Google Forms to Microsoft Excel, where percentages were calculated, and thematic analysis was applied to open-ended responses. The findings reveal that students hold overwhelmingly positive perceptions of CLT, recognizing its benefits in enhancing communication skills, promoting active participation, and improving language proficiency. CLT activities, such as pair speaking, group discussions, and multimedia tasks, are perceived as highly beneficial. However, barriers such as varying proficiency levels, lack of authentic materials, large class sizes, and Insufficient student confidence hinder its effective implementation. Practical suggestions from students, including increasing English interaction and utilizing authentic materials, offer potential solutions. The study concludes that CLT positively impacts students' language development and academic achievements, highlighting its effectiveness in improving English proficiency. These insights contribute to the pedagogical discourse, offering valuable strategies for enhancing EFL teaching practices and informing educational policies to meet learners' diverse needs better.