Competence of Teachers in Implementation of Communicative Language Teaching in China: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

In China, English is regarded as an essential language skill, carrying significant importance for global communication and career advancement. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is an approach to language education that emphasizes the importance of communication as the main goal of language learning. Consequently, educators at every tier of language education in China are encouraged to integrate Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) into their instructional approaches. This study reviews the literature on the teachers’ competency in implementing Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) between 1993 and 2023. The literature was sourced from prominent electronic databases including Google Scholar, JSTOR, and Eric reference using the keywords “Communicative Language Teaching”, “Communicative approach”, “China” “Teacher”. The systematic literature review reveals a complex landscape of CLT implementation in China, marked by progress and challenges. The findings show that the teachers lack competence, language proficiency and sociolinguistic understanding to implement CLT in classrooms. Challenges of implementing CLT include traditional methods, cultural disparities, large class sizes and limited resources. Adaptation, teacher training, and context-specific measures are proposed for successful CLT implementation in China.