International Journal of Research Studies in Language Learning,
2017; 6 (3): 89-99
English has been used as a medium of instruction in secondary schools and universities in
Tanzanian. Pedagogical practice in these levels has however, continued to generate huge
challenges in the education system. Considerable amount of time is wasted by students
grappling with the language of instruction instead of learning their other subjects. In
universities, Communication Skills (CS) course was introduced primarily to enable students
apply the existing knowledge of English to particular skills in order to respond to specific
academic communicative needs in their disciplines. But, students’ existing knowledge of
English at the moment of joining the university, is often so inadequate to have any meaningful
application of such knowledge. This happens against the backdrop of a paradigm shift where
communicative language teaching (CLT) has currently permeated pedagogical practice globally.
In the current study, the researchers undertook to investigate how universities in Tanzania have
been able to implement Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach in the teaching of
Communication Skills Courses. Researchers used qualitative study design through interviews
of students and staff, focus group interviews with staff, documentary analyses of CS courses,
and classrooms Observations. The findings reveal that inadequacy of CS as competency based
course, diversity of students in language abilities and disciplines, localization of teaching
material, and instructors’ authority working against students’ autonomy have been
compromising students’ development of academic communication competence. The study
recommends for a scrutiny of CS curricular to make them more competent based, specific and
connected to communication rather than linguistic minutia.