Challenging the traditional/communicative dichotomy

The primary aim of this paper is to explore a common dichotomy that characterizes debate about what has come to be termed ‘appropriate methodology’. It is that between ‘traditional’ and ‘communicative’ approaches to language teaching, a distinction that persists despite arguments by some that the term ‘communicative’ should be superseded or even abandoned altogether. We are particularly interested in how the dichotomy relates to language classrooms in the so-called ‘Confucian heritage cultures’ (CHCs). Using evidence from the literature and from a small exploratory study we carried out with teachers of English in South Korea, we will attempt to demonstrate, firstly, that the dichotomy is dubious, and, secondly, that the distinction needs recasting if it is not to inhibit methodological development in CHCs and, possibly, wider ELT contexts.