Challenges and Constraints of Implementing Communicative Language Teaching: Teacher-Related vs. Non-Teacher-Related Factors

Concerns have long been raised regarding the constraints of CLT. The study aims to discern the exact as opposed to the supposed problems that are taken for granted as obstacles. A total of 95 in-service Korean, North American, Chinese, Uzbek English teachers participated in the study. The results reveal that none of the non-teacher-related external factors such as educational policy, class size, classroom layout, learners' English proficiency, and learners' motivation, was found to be significant for CLT. Amongst teacher-related internal factors such as teachers' language proficiency, teacher's motivation to teach, years in service, teacher competence, and training in instructional methodology, teacher competence was found to be significant. In addition to the influence of the constraints on the teaching methods, the study further investigated teachers' perception of their teaching. The results that teaching methods were selected for 'convenience' and external teaching environments as the No.1 precondition for their change to CLT suggest a need for a shift in teacher perception.