PERCEPTION, PRACTICE AND CHALLENGES OF COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING BY GORCHE AND GEMESO KENERA HIGH SCHOOL EFL TEACHERS AND LEARNERS: GRADE NINE FOCUSED.

Abstract The main objective of this study is Perception, Practice and Challenges of Communicative Language teaching in two selected secondary schools at Sidama region Gorche woreda. Mixed research approach was employed, and thus both qualitative and quantitative data were generated. The population of the study includes all English language teachers in two schools of Gorche Woreda. Simple random sampling was used to select five teachers from each school for interview purposes and five sections out of 47 sections in order to get data through observation. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through the data collection instruments. The quantitative data collected through questionnaire were tabulated, presented, analyzed and discussed in the form of explanatory notes. The qualitative data generated from English language teachers through interview and observation were analyzed and interpreted by words. Accordingly, the result of the assessment proved that teachers did motivate on use skills handled in a communicative classroom there was no problem with regard to theoretical orientation in the item raised. And also, the fact that respondents for some statements reveal their favorable view and have high level of understanding about implementing CLT principles in EFL classroom practices with regard to different ways and activities. However, some portion of the respondents still resisted the fact related to learners’ role and still insisted on the prevalence of the role of the teacher as a sole provider of knowledge, the only responsible body of the learning and the main actor of the classroom activities. Therefore, the researcher forwarded that respondents do not have enough time to complete communicative tasks because they have to keep up with a teaching schedule. Researcher recommended that the concerned bodies should provide opportunities and students must be encouraged to produce language for genuine, meaningful communication as some of the activities to be used in CLT lesson classroom. In addition, teacher training institutions should work hard to fill the gaps between the teacher’s theoretical knowledge of teaching language skills in CLT and their practical skills of teaching CLT in classroom. Finally, institutions should modify form-based exams to include elements to assess CLT through students’ communicative competence.