Adults Learning a Foreign Language Through the Communicative Approach

Abstract

The communicative approach is a language teaching method that promotes authentic learning. However, the application of this approach in teaching adults presents some difficulties. This study is an examination of the main difficulties for adult learners using the communicative method to learn a foreign language. It will be focused on the learning style that adult learners bring to the foreign language classroom, and its relationship to the characteristics and objectives of the communicative approach. The summary of ideas and strategies suggested in chapter five IS intended to help adult learners cope better with the communicative approach and to improve their performance in a foreign language classroom.