The field of second or world language teaching has undergone many
shifts and trends over the last few decades. Numerous methods have
come and gone. We have seen the Audiolingual Method, cognitivebased
approaches, the Total Physical Response (TPR), the Natural
Approach, and many others (for a detailed description of these methods
and approaches, see Richards and Rodgers 2001). In addition,
the proficiency and standards-based1 movements have shaped the
field with their attempts to define proficiency goals and thus have
provided a general sense of direction. Some believe that foreign language
instruction has finally come of age (see Harper, Lively, and
Williams 1998); others refer to it as the post-method area (Richards
and Rodgers 2001). It is also generally believed that there is no
one single best method that meets the goals and needs of all learners
and programs. What has emerged from this time is a variety ofcommunicative language teaching (CLT) methodologies. Such methodologies
encompass eclectic ways of teaching that are borrowed from myriad
methods. Furthermore, they are rooted not only in one but a range of
theories and are motivated by research findings in second language acquisition
(SLA) as well as cognitive and educational psychology. The purpose
of this chapter is to provide an introduction to CLT and furthermore
describe general methodological principles that function as theoretical
and practical guidelines when implementing CLT methodologies.