Community Language Learning: An overview.

The CLL method was developed by Charles Curran. The latter was a specialist in counseling and a professor of psychology. Curran managed to apply the psychological counseling techniques to learning aspects, which resulted in a ‘Counseling-Learning theory’ represented by the CLL in teaching languages. Among the problems that impede foreign language learning are anxiety and negative emotions of defense. The learners undergo such emotions when they feel ‘threatened’ in an unfamiliar situation. In this respect, Curran asserts that learning is a social phenomenon that should take place ‘within the supportive environment of a “community” of one’s fellow learner’. The teacher is viewed as a counselor who is also responsible for creating a non-defensive environment and overcoming negative feelings towards learning a new language. To successfully foster non-defensive learning in the classroom, Curran suggests six psychological requirements referred to as SAARRD. These are Security, Aggression, Attention, Reflection, Retention, and Discrimination. According to Richards and Rodgers (2002), these aspects of Curran’s learning philosophy address ‘the personal commitments that learners need to make before language acquisition processes can operate’. <a href="https://aitoumgharelghali.medium.com/community-language-learning-an-overview-9fd5230ebb6">Website</a>