Communicative Approach: An Alternative Method Used in Improving Students’ Academic Reading Achievement

Academic reading is a difficult subject to be mastered. It is needed because most of books or references are written in English. The emphasis is on academic reading which becomes a compulsory subject that must be taught and understood in Faculty of Letters UAD Yogyakarta. Communicative approach is used and applied as an alternative method in the process of teaching?learning that focuses on language as a medium of communication. Communication ability involves in understanding fully the vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and all aspects of English skills such as reading, listening, speaking and writing. One main focus of the classroom action research that appears from communicative approach which is applied in the process of teaching?learning academic reading will be discussed. The objectives are (1) How is the application of communicative approach?, (2) How far is the influence of using communicative approach in teaching academic reading? It includes the study intensity of the students, the benefit and the weakness of using the approach. The results showed the application of communicative approach effectively improved the students’ ability in academic reading. It could be seen from the improvement of some aspects, (1) aspects of reading ability, (2) aspects of English- vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, communication, and ability of cooperation, colaboration, socialization, sharing ideas, opinion, and suggestion. The objective of teaching, the model of syllabus, the form of teaching?learning activity, and the kinds of learning material used by the teachers were consistent with those which were recommended by communicative approach.