Communicative Compentences

What kind of classroom activities do you find most appropiate to develop your Ss' comunicative competence?
According to the group of students with especial pedagogycal needs, for me is more appropiate to do is, to include in the topics their life experiences or family experiences when I ask them on Mondays about their weekend activities with thier families. I ask questions in L2 and most of them at their stage of their lenguage acquisition they usually answer in L1. I repeat their answers in L2.
Also on fridays I use "Show and Tell" activity, in that they bring one "special" object or photograph that belongs to them to express something about it following a pattern. They use the L2 according to their own language abilities. In this activitiy they have to use the vocabulary and form I already taugh, in that way they practice with out stress what they have learned. they write on their notebooks what they have expressed.
They like songs so I use a listening activity to develop this language skill. They enjoy repeating and singing. Takes more time of course because their special needs, abilities and learning styles than other regular students.
I sarted using very short dictations in order to apply what they listened and recognize from the visual aids then they use self correction when I write on the board the information.
I prepare like a little booklet where they cut, paste, color and write information realted to the topic we are on.
I do with them cooking time activities. this activity is very motivating one. Usually I use very short recipes. They start participating when I send the notes to their parents informing about date and ingredients; the Ss' have to explain them what is all about. I prepare the vocabulary they learn about it and some of the procedures. after the cooking activity I do a short evaluation in order to know.
It is not so often I look for some readings for them using a lot of visual aids.

Current and future situation of English

I think that we as a teachers must be aware of the differences when we talk about acquisition and learning a language. As researches expressed in the articles of the readings that the human mind is prepared to be multilingual and "the earlier, the better" is true but we must respect first the L1 in order to don't mix up both languages and have learning problems and confusions with the young learner. As we acquire the mother language being in a natural inmmersed enviroments, same way should be the acquisition of the L2. The young learner uses their right side of their brain to acquire the language whe they reach up 7 years they uses their left side of their brain which uses rational part learning patterns formal way of language. Teacher should use meaningful, contextualized enviroments in order to be sucessful to teagh the second language.
English is already an international language used by the mayority of verbal exchanges ( Native and non-native speakers). We need to be for next future to teach content based approach and also to learn another language to be multilingual person as wll teacher.

Patty