Communicative competence

ESL EFL Communicative competence: categories. Difference with performance.

1. COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE

2. Communicative Competence is the ability to use the language correctly and appropriately in the context where it is used to accomplish communication goals The desired outcome of the language learning process is the ability to communicate competently, not the ability to use the language exactly as a native speaker does.

3. The linguist Noam Chomsky introduced the notion of competence and performance as part of his foundations for his Generative Grammar (1965) Hymes referred to communicative competence as that aspect that enables us to convey and interpret messages and to negotiate meanings interpersonally within specific contexts (1967) Savignon noted that communicative competence is relative, and depends on the cooperation of all the participants involved .

4.   In the 1970 s, research on communicative competence distinguished between linguistic and communicative competence : it highlights the difference between knowledge "about language forms” and the knowledge that enables a person to communicative functionally and interactively . In similar vein, James Cummins proposed a distinction between cognitive / academic language proficiency and basic interpersonal skills.

5. competence involves “knowing” the language and performance involves “doing” something with the language. In order to focus learners more on the “doing” part of learning, which allows a more accurate measure of learners’ language proficiency, a more communicative approach to teaching can be used. This type of approach concentrates on getting learners to do things with the language.

6. In Canale and Swain's, and later in Canale`s (1983) definition , there are four different components , or subcategories that make up the construct of communicative competence GRAMMATICAL COMPETENCY DISCOURSE COMPETENCY SOCIOLINGUISTIC COMPETENCY STRATEGIC COMPETENCY

7. Furthermore, the division is more detailed by Guy Spiel Mann (2006). As noted on the picture, the three rings are connected and deeply specified .

8. GRAMMATICAL COMPTENCE It i s that aspect of communicative competence that encompasses Knowledge of lexical ítems and of rules of morphology, syntax, sentence – grammar semantics, and phonology

9. It is knowing how to use the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of a language. Linguistic competence asks: What words do I use? How do I put them into phrases and sentences?

10. DISCOURSE It is the ability we have to connect sentences in stretches of discourse and to form a meanigfulwhole out of a series of utterance . Discourse means everything from simple spoken conversation to lenghty written texts .

11. It is knowing how to interpret the larger context, and how to construct longer stretches of language, so that the parts make up a coherent whole. In a discourse (oral form), two aspects play an important role: fluency and accuracy. The goal is to communicate and build on both, so that in the long run, the two are developed and do not hinder the process of communication aimed.

12. SOCIOLINGUISTIC COMPETENCY It is the Knowledge of the sociocultura l rules of language and of discourse . This type of competence requires an understanding of the sociql context in which language is used : the roles of the participants , the information they share and the function of the interaction .

13. It is knowing how to use and respond to language appropriately, given the setting, the topic, and the relationships among the people communicating. Sociolinguistic competence asks : “Which words and phrases fit this setting and this topic? How can I express a specific attitude (courtesy, authority, friendliness, respect) when I need to? How do I know what attitude another person is expressing ?”

14. STRATEGIC COMPETENCY It describes the nonverbal communication strategies that may be called into action to compensate for breakdowns in communication due to perfomance variables, or due to insufficient competence .

15. Strategic competency is knowing how to recognize and repair communication breakdowns, how to work around gaps in one’s knowledge of the language, and how to learn more about the language and in the context. Strategic competence asks: How do I know when I’ve misunderstood or when someone has misunderstood me? What do I say then? How can I express my ideas if I don’t know the name of something or the right verb form to use?