LibGuides: Language Teaching Pedagogy: Communicative Activities

Communicative Activities for Language Learning

Once higher-order considerations such as educational goals/taxonomy of learning, the nature of input/output, and universal design have been considered, it is useful to the language instructor to develop a repertoire of communicative activities which correspond to the design and purpose of the class / curriculum in question. Below, there are a number of resources which have compiled communicative activities which range in difficulty from novice to advanced level.

As language teachers select activities to incorporate into lesson plans it is important to keep in mind the modes of communication that are being engaged and how these modes correspond with proficiency standards such as those of ACTFL. Below, the modes of communication enumerated by ACTFL are listed and defined.

Interpretive: One-way communication in which a listener or reader has no way to interact with the speaker/writer/producer. Examples: Listening to a podcast, reading a blog post.
Interpersonal: Two-way or multi-way communication in which participants can interact. Examples: Using text messaging (reading/writing) to agree on a meeting time and location, using video calling (listening/speaking) to interact with a health care professional.
Presentational: One-way communication in which a speaker or writer has no way to check for comprehension on the part of listener(s)/reader(s). Examples: Recording an audio or video message, producing a printed set of instructions.

ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2024. ACTFL, INC., 2024

Books on Communicative Language Activities

Keep Talking by Friederike Klippel
ISBN: 9780521278713
Publication Date: 1985-02-14
This book is suitable for use with students from elementary to advanced level. It is divided into two parts. Part I contains instructions for over 100 different exercises, including interviews, guessing games, jigsaw tasks, problem solving, values clarification techniques, mime, role play and storytelling. For each activity, notes are also provided on the linguistic and educational aims, the level, organisation, time and preparation required. Part II contains the accompanying worksheets, which can be copied, making many of the activities instantly available for use in class. A comprehensive table of activities and an index are included for ease of reference.
Lessons from Nothing by Bruce Marsland
ISBN: 9780521627658
Publication Date: 1998-07-09
This book is an invaluable resource for busy teachers everywhere who are looking for easy-to-use activities that do not require extensive facilities or preparation. It is a practical source of around 70 language teaching activities that encourage interaction and co-operation in the classroom. The activities included are suitable for immediate use and can be used with learners of all ages and levels. The activities are presented clearly and do not require any photocopying of resources.
Five-Minute Activities by Penny Ur
ISBN: 9780521397810
Publication Date: 1992-02-06
This book contains over 130 short activities for the language classroom: some are well-tried favourites clearly restated; others are new ideas or variations. The activities can be used to support learners with particular aspects of language, help students and teacher to get to know each other, provide a smooth transition between two major parts of a lesson, supplement a coursebook, and introduce or round off lessons. The activities are laid out simply in alphabetical order, with sections providing guidance on aims, preparation (if any), and procedure.

Web Resources for Language Activities

What Makes a Good Language Learning Activity?
This website from Cambridge University Press offers various considerations for the creation and/or selection of useful and engaging language learning activities.
Communicative Language Teaching Today
This link to a PDF from Professor Jack Richards includes an introduction to Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), along with a description of various activities educators can implement to maintain a CLT approach. Chapter 3 of this document focuses on Communicative Language Teaching activities.