What are the benefits of Communicative language teaching and Task-based activities?

Dee Fink (2003) regards learning as when students change. This change leads to significant
learning, according to him, when there is some permanence of the learning experience. For this
type of learning to take place, teachers need to look beyond what students learn to how they
learn. This requires an instructional shift from focusing on the teaching of content or knowledge
towards other types of learning experiences. Students can be encouraged to relate what they learn
in the classroom to their lives, learn more about themselves and their classmates through
interaction, and apply or use what they learn to new situations.
Teachers can help students achieve this learning experiences with the use of Communicative
Language Teaching, which stresses “language as a medium, not a target”, and Task-based
Language Teaching giving focus on meaningful tasks towards language learning.
Both teaching methods are effective in an array of reasons:
1. The method, TBLT and CLT holds true on learner autonomy on tasks, and the aim of task
is to create a real purpose for language use and provide a natural context for language
study. (Hashemi, et. Al, 2011) Such tasks can include visiting a doctor, conducting an
interview, or calling customer service for help using the target language as a medium.
This facilitates learners’ language learning by engaging them in a variety of tasks that
have a clear outcome and gives learners confidence in trying out using the language at
their level. According to Jeremy Harmer, tasks promote language acquisition through the
types of language and interaction they require. The communicative approach is based on
the idea that learning language successfully comes through having to communicate real
meaning.
2. One of the real benefit is, if prepared thoroughly, CLT classes put less teacher talk time
and more of learner talk.
3. Communicative approach seeks to personalize and localize language and adapt it to
interests of pupils. Meaningful language is always more easily retained by learners.
(Mkhaledbh) This means that language is stressed as a stretching medium with its use not
only in classroom but also use in the family, community and business level.
4. Since both methods are learner-centered, this provides an array of activities and
motivational tasks to keep student interest, attention, and involvement all throughout the
session, as teacher provides group works rather than individualized ones.
5.