BUILDING ACTIVE LEARNING COMMUNITIES TO DEVELOP STUDENTS’ ENGLISH COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE: REALITY AND SOLUTIONS

Abstract

Over the past five years, the National Foreign Languages Project has made tremendous efforts to build and develop foreign language learning communities in the whole national education system. However, there remains a lack of active language learning communities (ALCs) outside classroom to offer exposure to students’ English usage in real settings. This article provides a theoretical framework for building ALCs and examines the reality of building ALCs at higher education institutions, thereby offering solutions to the building of sustainable ALCs. The study employs both the quantitative method using a questionnaire-based survey and the qualitative approach utilizing observation and synthesis of primary and secondary sources. The findings suggest that building learning modes and seeking a feasible model of promoting students’ learning motives have become the most important factors for the sustainable development of ALCs at tertiary education level.