The Communicative Manifesto for Contemporary Language Teaching According to Science

Posted 28 February, 2025

The Communicative Manifesto For Contemporary Language Teaching Brochure 

• Language, Input & Communication
• Task-Based Language Learning
• Vocabulary Learning & Focus on Form

Prof. Alessandro Benati
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, IRELAND

Specializes in research on the theoretical framework known as Input Processing, and particularly its pedagogical model Processing Instruction. His another research interest is the effects of formal instruction on the acquisition of linguistic properties in romance and non-romance languages.

Prof. Joe Barcroft
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS, USA

Investigates vocabulary acquisition, lexical input processing, and psycholinguistic approaches to different issues in second language acquisition. He is the author of several scholarly books and many research articles in in top journals.

Prof. Michael Leeser
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY, USA

Focuses on the area of instructed second language acquisition, second language comprehension, and input processing, and sentence processing in second language learners and bilinguals.

LANGUAGE UNLIKE RULES
Language is complex, abstract, and it is not learned explicitly.

COMMUNICATION UNLIKE Q/A PARADIGMS
Communication is the interpretation, expression and negotiation of meaning in a context and with a purpose for language exchange.

INPUT AS THE BASIC INGREDIENT
The basic data for language learning is comprehensible and meaningful input.

TASKS OVER DRILLS
Language tasks and not exercises should form the backbone of the language curriculum.

INTERACTIVE OVER MECHANICAL TASKS
Communicative and interactive language tasks can facilitate language learning.

THE TARGET OVER THE FIRST LANGUAGE
The use of the target language in the classroom should be maximized.

MINIMUM, INDIRECT, AND IMPLICIT ERROR CORRECTION

VOCABULARY IS LEARNED, WHEN IT IS

• meaning-oriented,
• comprehensible,
• multi-level,
• frequent,
• and repeated over time.

A FOCUS ON GRAMMAR SHOULD

• include both a focus on form and a focus on meaning,
• be on effective pedagogical interventions (e.g., input flood, textual enhancement, structured input).

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