CONTEXTUALISING FORM AND FUNCTION FOR THE SAKE OF THE LEARNERS IN CLT

Abstract

Arguments that the ultimate purpose of L2 acquisition and learning is
to communicate have been widely accepted. To get a better result, a
combination of instruction and opportunities to practice in
communication is necessary. Instruction can provide learners with
communicative competence, and practice can improve the automatic
processing of this competence to communicate (Brown, 2001). CLT
instruction should therefore equip L2 learners with both formal and
functional aspects of the language. Depending on the context of the
learners, focus on form and function are here viewed as a continuum
and complementary to each other. By doing so, it is expected that L2
learners are well provided with ability to perceive not only the whole
picture (in this case to communicate) but also small pieces (of
grammar, form). It is believed that SLTL with activities that focus on
both form (grammar) and function (communication) tends to produce
learners with greater accuracy and fluency.