【Abstract】Communicative Approach has become the mainstream in English Language Teaching in China. The approach which helps realizes the goal of learning languages is using the new-learned language to communicate with other people in real life. Many linguists and teachers consider Communicative Approach as an effective way to solve the problems existing in the teaching and learning process.
　　【Key words】Communicative Approach; spoken English; application
　　Communicative Approach is a popular teaching approach in today’s China. Many linguists are exploring it in order to improve the learners’ English. This chapter serves as an introduction of Communicative Teaching Approach and tries to make sure that this approach will help the English learners in Chinese middle schools.
　　1.Social and theoretical background of the Communicative Approach
　　The origins of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) are to be found in the language teaching in Britain dating back to the late 1960s. “It is not a tightly structural method of teaching; it is a broad assembly of ideas, from a range of sources others”,[1] CLT has a rich theoretical base of the characteristics of this communicative view of language as restated as the following; 1. Language is a system for the expression of meaning. 2.The primary function of language is for interaction and communication. 3. The structure of language reflects its functional and communicative uses. 4. The primary units of language are not only its grammatical and structural features, but also categories of functional and communicative meanings as exemplified in discourse.”[2]
　　2.The purpose of foreign language learning
　　“The primary goal of most foreign language learning is to develop the ability to use real and appropriate language to communicate and interact with others; and the goal of foreign language teaching is to extend the range of communicative situation in which the learners can perform with focus on meaning without being hindered by the attention he must pay to linguistic form.”[3] We learn foreign language is to communicate with others. As China entered the WTO, it is the very time for English learners in China to improve their ability of speaking. Especially in middle schools, the students should learn hard to enhance their communicative ability, for they are in the right period of cultivating themselves in all aspects.
　　3.Roles of the teacher and the students
　　In traditional classroom, the class is teacher/book-centered. In such a classroom, the teacher analyses the text and explains new language points from the beginning of the class. On the other hand, what the students do in most time is to take mechanical drills and imitation practice. As a result, the students are very quiet, they just listen to the teacher and absorb new knowledge passively and the whole class atmosphere is very oppressive. All these are not good for the students to master and apply new knowledge in real life. So, it is essential to exchange the roles of the teacher and the students. 　　According to Communicative Approach, the class should be a student-centered class; the students are the main participants, so the result of the class is laid on the students. The students are the main actors in a class and they should make good preparations before class and have a strong drive to communicate with others .In class, the students should coordinate with the teacher actively and follow the teacher’s steps seriously. Only by doing this will a class be a successful class.
　　4.Conclusion
　　We know spoken language is being ignored in Foreign Language Teaching for various reasons .The ultimate purpose of foreign language learning is to communicate; oral English is no doubt the most direct method. Nowadays, for oral English is playing a crucial part in modern society, so how to teach oral English better is becoming a real important topic. Communicative Approach is a very effective way in teaching speaking for its principles, especially in middle school. To the middle school students, the activities provided by Communicative Approach are the right ways for them to perform and improve their spoken English; hence it is worthwhile to pay more attention to Communicative Approach in our students’ oral English, though there are many existing obstacles for the students to cope with. However, education is developing continually, so our teaching methodology should be improved at the same time. What we should do is to explore more effective teaching methods or strategies to improve English teaching in the future based on full use of Communicative Approach.
　　References：
　　[1] 唐光洁.Communicative Approach and High School Teaching [D].西南师范大学硕士论文，2002.8-10.
　　[2] 谷金枝. A Communicative Approach To College Oral English Class [D]. 江西师范大学外国语学院硕士论文, 2004.4.
　　[3] 肖迎新. The Student-Centered Approach---An Effective Way to Make ELT Classroom Communicative [J].内蒙古师范大学学报.(教育科学版), 2003.107.
　　作者简介：
　　辛明（1986-），女，河南焦作人，西华师范大学四川省教育发展研究中心2011级硕士研究生，主要研究方向为教育社会学。