READING REPORT

COMPETENCY-BASED LANGUAGE TEACHING

The world has always faced trends that influence all the aspects that set the parameters for human behavior, aspects such as economy, technology, fashion, etc. English language teaching has not been the exception.
The most recent phenomenon that is influencing language teaching is the setting of standards.

In the US this tendency started as the term “precise measurable descriptions of knowledge, skills, and behavior” was introduced in the 1970s.
It was not until the 1980s that in the UK it was included a framework to organizing the teaching of a foreign language.

In Colombia, English language teaching has faced 3 main stages:

1st stage: implementation of English in education (1975)
2nd stage: establishment of the English program (1981)
3rd stage: publishing of the “LINEAMIENTOS CURRICULARES” (1994)

All these current tendencies focus on learners’ outcomes, based and adaptive to their needs and the ones of the teachers and the community.

Of course this movement is based on an application of principles of Competency-Based Education to language teaching, which is a functional approach to education that emphasizes life skills and evaluates mastery of those skills according to actual leaner performance.

The main characteristics of a Competency Based Education Program are:
· Specific, measurable competency statements
· Content based on learner goals (outcomes/competencies)
· Learner continues in program until demonstrating mastery
· Use a variety of instructional techniques and group activities
· Focus on what the learner needs to learn, which is the application of basic skills in a life skills context
· Use texts, media, and real life materials geared to targeted competencies
· Provide learners with immediate feedback on assessment performance
· Pace instruction to learner needs
· Have learner demonstrate mastery of specified competency statements


This approach if put into practice appropriately could definitely enhance language learning, since the training would be relevant to the learners’ needs; this would surely increase their motivation since they see the direct relevance of what they are studying and also simplifies the assessment process because the outcomes required are clearly stated in the competency standards.