The PPP Approach to Communicative Language Teaching

"PPP" (or the "3Ps") stands for Presentation, Practice and Production - a common approach to
communicative language teaching that works through the progression of three sequential stages.
Presentation represents the introduction to a lesson, and necessarily requires the creation of a
realistic (or realistic-feeling) "situation" requiring the target language to be learned. This can be
achieved through using pictures, dialogs, imagination or actual "classroom situations". The
teacher checks to see that the students understand the nature of the situation, then builds the
"concept" underlying the language to be learned using small chunks of language that the students
already know. Having understood the concept, students are then given the language "model" and
angage in choral drills to learn statement, answer and question forms for the target language.
This is a very teacher-orientated stage where error correction is important.
Practice usually begins with what is termed "mechanical practice" - open and closed pairwork.
Students gradually move into more "communicative practice" involving procedures like information
gap activities, dialog creation and controlled roleplays. Practice is seen as the frequency device to
create familiarity and confidence with the new language, and a measuring stick for accuracy. The
teacher still directs and corrects at this stage, but the classroom is beginning to become more
learner-centered.
Production is seen as the culmination of the language learning process, whereby the learners
have started to become independent users of the language rather than students of the language.
The teacher's role here is to somehow facilitate a realistic situation or activity where the students
instinctively feel the need to actively apply the language they have been practicing. The teacher
does not correct or become involved unless students directly appeal to him/her to do so.
The PPP approach is relatively straight forward, and structured enough to be easily understood by
both students and new or emerging teachers. It is a good place to start in terms of applying good
communicative language teaching in the classroom. It has also been criticized considerably for
the very characteristic that makes it the easiest method for 'beginner' teachers, that is, that it is far
too teacher-orientated and over controlled. A nice alternative to 'PPP' is Harmer's 'ESA'
(Engage/Study/Activate)
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Presentation stage: The teacher begins the lesson by setting up a situation, either eliciting or modeling
some language that the situation calls for. Presentation may consist of model sentences, short dialogues
illustrating target items, either read from the textbook, heard on the tape or acted out by the teacher.
Practice stage: Students practise the new language in a controlled way. They drill sentences or dialogues by
repeating after the teacher or the tape, in chorus and individually, until they can say them correctly. Other
practice activities are matching parts of sentences, completing sentences or dialogues and asking and
answering questions using the target language.
Production stage: Students are encouraged to use the new language in a freer way either for their own
purposes and meanings or in a similar context introduced by the teacher. It can be a role play, a simulation
activity or a communication task.
Compiled By
M.Nagib elt supervisor