In the world of education, Competency-Based Language Teaching (CLBT) is a technique application under the umbrella principles of Competency-Based Education.
This technique offers new approach to the education field with focusing more on the outcome of learning or result of language competencies post-learning. This is a breakthrough from previous language teaching approaches that focus on the language learning input.
This technique has an aim for effective performance of real-world application or activities with list of essential skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Thus, the
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output educational goals is to provide students with a descriptions of knowledge, skills, and behaviors at the end of a program or course study. This approach rooted on the assumption that the quality of teaching and students’ learning will be enhanced by the clear specification of expected outcomes and the continuous feedback that the competency-based assessment can offer.
B. Procedures of the technique
There are key features that characterize the implementation of Competency-Based Language Teaching, as follows:
1. Task or performance–centered orientation. This orientation will provide learning environment where students are taught language abilities based on its function on the situation or context.
2. Modularized instruction. This instruction will define the learning objective as set of narrowly focused sub-objectives that will make students easier to grasp their target in learning to achieve better progress and achievement.
3. Outcomes that are made explicit. The desired outcome are specific, so that the students can know exactly what expected behaviors are required.
4. Continuous and ongoing assessment. Even if the focus is on the output, the ongoing assessment is still conducted along the learning process. This way it can be a reflection and continuous feedback for the students on their learning process.
C. How to Implementing
- Modularized instruction. As the initial process of learning, this instruction will define the learning objective as set of narrowly focused sub-objectives that will
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make easier for students to grasp their target in learning to achieve better progress and achievement.
The parameter of the objective is focusing on life skills. The students are taught just those language abilities required by the situation or context in which they will function. The goal of teaching is what the students can do as a result of instruction (performance–centered orientation).
For example, with the aid of the material of wetlands specifically about Threat of Wetlands, the learning objective will be constructed to give students full competency and knowledge about the material. Not only that, in practical level, along with learning about the content and the language, students will also be exposed into the practicality of how is the best way to avoid the threat of wetlands in real-life.
- Outcomes that are made explicit a priori. The desired outcome is specific, so that the students can know exactly what expected behaviors are required.
For example:
Outcome
Students are able to understand the significant Threat to Wetlands and the mechanism how it could happen
- Cycle / Map of Threat to Wetlands
- Article on Threat to Wetlands
Students are able to formulated constructive solution and action to help preventing the increase of threat of wetland
- Poster how to stop threat to wetlands - Video on educating
the significant danger of threat to wetlands
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- Continuous and ongoing assessment. Even if the focus is on the output, the ongoing assessment is still conducted along the learning process. This way it can be a reflection and continuous feedback for the students on their learning process.
Modul as the example of assessing students understanding through writing form:
Threat to Wetlands
Many human activities put wetlands in jeopardy. Over half of the wetlands in the lower 48 states have been lost since colonial times owing to development, agriculture, and forestry, including 20% of Maine's wetlands. Despite the fact that current legislation has significantly reduced wetland loss, the United States continues to lose nearly 60,000 acres every year. Moreover, the ecological health of our remaining wetlands may be in danger from pollution, and invasive species, especially in rapidly urbanizing areas.
According to the Federal Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Wetlands, more than a third of threatened and endangered species in the United States live only in wetlands, and nearly half of them use wetlands at some time during their lives. The Blanding's Turtle, the Ringed Boghaunter Dragonfly, and the English Sundew are among the vulnerable species found in Maine's wetlands.
Unfortunately, human activities is also included as threat to wetlands in several different ways. For example: the use and the waste of toxic chemicals to wetlands habitat, physical disruption like sedimentation, or biological causes like invasion of non-native species.
D. Advantages of the technique The advantages of CBLT:
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- The benefit of specific and practical competency is it can be easier to cater students’ need and interest
- This technique will provide good communication tools, so student will master basic structure of the language
- The competencies’ objective makes it possible to be mastered one at a time, therefore the learners can take a record into what has been learned and what still remains to be learned
- Enhancing students’ motivation in learning by using some media in the process.
5. FISHBOWL TECHNIQUE