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Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 17. Number 3, September 2026 Pp.406-424
Department of English, University of Engineering & Management (UEM), Jaipur, India - 303807
English Department, Applied College for Girls, King Khalid University
Abha, Saudi Arabia- 62585
Department of English, JECRC University, Jaipur, India - 303905
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has become a dominant approach to English language education; however, empirical evidence regarding its effectiveness in multilingual Indian higher education remains limited. This study investigates the implementation of CLT in multilingual English language classrooms at Jaipur Engineering College and Research Centre (JECRC) University and the University of Engineering and Management (UEM), Jaipur, with particular emphasis on communicative competence, learner engagement, multilingual classroom practices, and alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 300 undergraduate students using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple regression. The findings indicate that students hold positive perceptions of CLT and that communicative teaching practices significantly enhance communicative competence and learner engagement. Multilingual classroom practices further support collaborative learning, improve comprehension, and encourage active classroom participation. The study also demonstrates a strong alignment between CLT and the learner-centred, multilingual, and competency-based objectives of NEP 2020. By providing empirical evidence from multilingual private universities in Rajasthan, the study contributes to contemporary English language teaching research, and it highlights the value of integrating communicative pedagogy with multilingual instructional practices to strengthen higher education in India.
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Prof. Mukesh Yadav is working as a Professor and Head of the Department of English at the University of Engineering and Management, Jaipur. He has authored 10 books and published 40+ research papers in reputed journals. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3750-9275
Dr Meenakshi Sharma Yadav (PhD, MPhil (ELT), TEFL) is an assistant professor of linguistics at King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia. A committed professional academician with over 18 years of international teaching experience across the PYP, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels, she is a prominent voice in linguistics, ELT, and literary studies. Furthermore, Dr. Yadav also serves as a reviewer and associate editor for several Scopus- and Web of Science-indexed journals. With more than 36 research papers published, her research interests include linguistics and literary studies.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7962-3267
Dr. Vishnu Kumar Sharma (PhD, MPhil (ELT)) is an Assistant Professor at JECRC University, Jaipur, India. His research focuses on multimodal linguistics, postcolonial and diasporic studies, AI in education, and English language pedagogy. He has published over 35 research papers in Scopus, Web of Science, UGC CARE, and other peer-reviewed journals and serves on the editorial boards of reputed journals.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3598-2368