A Critical Review of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in Afghanistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63810/27yehe87Keywords:
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)، Performance، English Language Teaching (ELT)، Communicative Competence، Teacher Training; Afghan EFL learners.Abstract
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is widely promoted in global English education، emphasizing meaningful interaction، learner autonomy، and communicative competence. However، its implementation in developing and post-conflict contexts like Afghanistan remains difficult، often failing to translate policy into practice. This critical review examines the theoretical basis of CLT and how it has been interpreted or resisted in Afghan English teaching environments. Although national curriculum documents support CLT principles، classroom practices largely remain rigidly teacher-centered and overwhelmingly grammar-focused. Key barriers include limited teacher proficiency، inadequate training in communicative methods، large classes، scarce resources، exam-oriented assessment، and learner independence. While CLT has strong potential to significantly improve English learning in Afghanistan، the review argues that success requires a localized adaptation rather than adoption of Western models. It ultimately recommends context-sensitive teacher development، culturally appropriate communicative activities، and stronger institutional support to enable sustainable CLT implementation.
Keywords: Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)، Performance، English Language Teaching (ELT)، Communicative Competence، Teacher Training; Afghan EFL learners.
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References
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