摘要
It has been acknowledged by Chinese educators that in teaching English as a second language the center should be put on the improvement of students' communicative competence. Communicative approach in teaching English as a second language in China has been accepted as one of the most effective ways of classroom teaching. Based on Hymes' theories of communicative competence, the author summarizes personal experiences and practice of the teaching method by examples and concludes that the communicative approach is very effective and helpful for students.