CBLTNouhaila

Competency
based language
teaching
Table of contents
 Background
 The role of the learner
 Theory of language and learning
 Assessment
 Definition
 Syllabus
 Characteristics
 Advantages
 Principles
 Critism
 The role of the teacher.
Background
• Competency based language teaching emerged in the united state in 1970s
and refers to an educational movement .
• By the end of 1970s competency based language teaching was mostly used in
work - related and survival oriented language teaching programs .
• CBLT is an application of the principles of CBE to language teaching.
• It is a macro approach
• It describes the students' ability to apply basic and other skills in situations
commonly encoountered in every day life.
Theory of language and learning:
• CBLT is based on functional and interactional perspective on the nature of

language.i,e. Language learning should be connected to the social context it
is used in .
• Docking ( 1994) summarized CBLT " It is not designed around the notion of
subject knowledge but around the notion of competency . The focus moves
from what students know to what they can do ".
Definition:
• Competency-based language teaching is an approach to language education

that focuses on the development of specific language skills and abilities that
learners need to be successful in real life situations.
• it has been adopted by The Moroccan junior school .
• much emphasis is laid on the outcome or ouput of learning in the

development of language programs.
Characteristics:
 CBLT is built around the notion of Communicative competence, it seeks to

develop functional communication skills.
 It is outcome based .
 It is learner - centered .
 It is task based .
 It revolves around the notion of competency rather than the subject
knowledge .
 It assesses learner behavior/ performance in relation to the competencies
focused up.
 It capitalizes on the performances that the learners should expect to attain,
not just content to be covered.
Principles:
• The focus moves from accumulating knowledge about the language to
effectively using it to achieve specific goals
• Ongoing assessment: learners receive regular feedback and guidance to

monitor and follow their progress.
• Learner autonomy : CBLT emphasizes learner empowerment ,so learners

actively set their goals, choose their learning strategies ,reflect on their
progress, fostering self regulation skills.
• The language acquisition is fostered by engaging learners in real tasks.

• Learning in low anxiety situations.
Competencies involved in CBLT:
 CBLT is built around the notion of Communicative competence. Communicative
competence refers to a learner's abilityto use the language correctly and
appropriately to accomplish communication goals.
Communicative competence is made up of four competence areas:
1. Linguistic competence: it is the knowledge of the language code, i.e.
 Its grammar and vocabulary, and also of the conventions of its written representation.
 The grammar component includes the knowledge of the sounds and their pronunciation (i.e.
phonetics), the rules that govern sound interactions and patterns (i.e. phonology), the
formation of words by means of e.g. inflection and derivation (i.e. morphology), the rules
that govern the combination of words and phrases to structure sentences (i.e. syntax),
2- Sociolinguistic competence: it is the knowledge of sociocultural
rules of use, i.e.
• Knowing how to use and respond to language appropriately. The

appropriateness depends on the setting of the communication, the topic, and
the relationships among the people communicating.
• Moreover, being appropriate depends on knowing what the taboos of the

other culture are, what politeness indices are used in each case, how a
specific attitude (authority, friendliness, courtesy, irony etc.) is expressed etc.
3- Discourse competence:it is the knowledge of how to produce
and comprehend
• Oral or written texts in the modes of speaking/writing and listening/reading

respectively. It‟s knowing how to interpret the larger context and how to
construct longer stretches of language so that the parts make up a coherent
whole.
• Thus, discourse competence deals with organizing words, phrases and

sentences in order to create conversations, speeches, poetry, , messages..
The role of the teacher:
• Providing positive and constructive feedback .

• Giving clear orders and explanations.
• Selecting learning activities and designing a syllabus according to the
competency that the students are going to acquire.
• Facilitator .
• Assessor and feedback giver.
• Guiding students.
• To make sure that every students understand the task.
The role of the learner:
• Active participants .
• Focus on " doing" not just " knowing " .
• Being more self directed and responsible for his o her own learning .
• Self reflective learners .
• To be able to adapt and transfer knowledge from one sitting to another .
• To perform the skills taught.
Assessment:
• Performance assessment.
• Continuous assessment.
• Criterian - reinforced assessment.
• It Measures a student's performance based on mastery of a specific set of skills.
i.e, what the students know and do not know at the time of assessment.
• The student's performance is NOT compared to other students' performanceon the
same assessment.
• Example: . End-of-unit exams in school:These exams are designed to determine
whether students have mastered the material presented in a specific unit. Each
student's performance is measured based on the material presented what the
student knows and what the student doesn't know .
Advantages:
• Learner-centered and personalized: CBLT shifts the focus from a "teacher-tells"
method to an "learner-does" approach.
• Development of transferable skills:CBLT fosters valuable skills like critical
thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration through project-based learning and
peer interaction.
• Meaningful assessment: CBLT utilizes clear assessment criteria aligned with the
defined competencies.
• Focus on real-world language use: CBLT prioritizes the practical application of
language skills in authentic contexts.
• Performance-based assessment: CBLTuses performance-based tasks to assess
learners' language skills, rather than traditional written tests.
Limitations :
• Limited cultural exposure: Competency-based language teaching focuses

primarily on the development of specific language skills and abilities, and may not
provide as much exposure to the culture .
• Time-Consuming: The focus on mastering competencies might lead to a slower

pace of learning, potentially delaying overall language proficiency.
• Resource intensiveness : CBLT requires a significant amount of planning and

preparation, including the development of specific language competencies .
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Competency

• CBLT is based on functional and interactional perspective on the nature of

• Competency-based language teaching is an approach to language education

• it has been adopted by The Moroccan junior school .

• much emphasis is laid on the outcome or ouput of learning in the

 CBLT is built around the notion of Communicative competence, it seeks to

• Ongoing assessment: learners receive regular feedback and guidance to

• Learner autonomy : CBLT emphasizes learner empowerment ,so learners

• The language acquisition is fostered by engaging learners in real tasks.

Communicative competence is made up of four competence areas:

1. Linguistic competence: it is the knowledge of the language code, i.e.

• Knowing how to use and respond to language appropriately. The

• Moreover, being appropriate depends on knowing what the taboos of the

• Oral or written texts in the modes of speaking/writing and listening/reading

• Thus, discourse competence deals with organizing words, phrases and

• Providing positive and constructive feedback .

• Limited cultural exposure: Competency-based language teaching focuses

• Time-Consuming: The focus on mastering competencies might lead to a slower

• Resource intensiveness : CBLT requires a significant amount of planning and

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