Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) emerged in the 1970s as a result of experts realizing that students needed to develop communicative competence rather than just mastering linguistic structures. CLT aims to make communication the goal of language teaching by using authentic materials and meaningful, collaborative tasks. It focuses on using language as a means of communication rather than just studying structure. Key characteristics include using real contexts, providing opportunities to develop strategies, and practicing functional language. The teacher takes on roles like adviser and instructor, while students are active communicators responsible for their own learning. Techniques include role plays, problem-solving tasks, and using real-world materials like menus or newspaper articles.