Communicative Language Learning

Communicative competence

Communicative competence refers to a learner’s L2 ability. It refers to a learner’s ability of using grammatical rules, forming correct utterances, and knowing how to use these utterances appropriately. The term was coined by Dell Hymes in 1966, reacting against the perceived inadequacy of Noam Chomsky’s distinction between competence and performance. Hymes’ ideas about communicative competence were originall research-based rather than pedagogical. Hymes discussed the ethnographic-oriented exploration of communicative competence that included “communicative form and function” in relation to each other. His research-oriented ideas have undergone an epistemic transformation: from empirically oriented questions to an idealized pedagogic doctrine

Chomsky’s view of linguistic competence, however, was not intended to inform pedagogy, but serve as part of developing a theory of the linguistic system itself, idealized as the abstract language knowledge of the monolingual adult native speaker, and different from how they happen to use and experience language. Hymes, rather than Chomsky, had developed a theory of education and learning.

Linguistic aspects of communicative competence

· Phonology and orthography

· Grammar

· Vocabulary

· Discourse (textual)

Pragmatic aspects of communicative competence

· Functions

· Variations

· Interactional skills

· Cultural framework

	1 phonological competence:

		Phonological competence is the ability to recognize and produce the distinctive meaningful sounds of a language, including:
		· tone patterns · intonation patterns · rhythm patterns · any other suprasegmental features that carry meaning · stress patterns · consonants · vowels
		Related to phonological competence is orthographic competence, or the ability to decipher and write the writing system of a language.

	2 grammatical competence:

		Grammatical competence is the ability to recognize and produce the distinctive grammatical structures of a language and to use them effectively in communication.

3 discourse competence:

	Discourse competence is used to refer to two related, but distinct abilities. Textual discourse competence refers to the ability to understand and construct monologues or written texts of different genres, such as narratives, procedural texts, expository texts, persuasive (hortatory) texts, descriptions and others. These discourse genres have different characteristics, but in each genre there are some elements that help make the text coherent, and other elements which are used to make important points distinctive or prominent.
	Learning a language involves learning how to relate these different types of discourse in such a way that hearers or readers can understand what is going on and see what is important. Likewise it involves being able to relate information in a way that is coherent to the readers and hearers.

Pragmatic aspects of communicative competence

	1 functional competence:

		Functional competence refers to the ability to accomplish communication purposes in a language. There are a number of different kinds of purposes for which people commonly use language.

	2 sociolinguistic competence:

		Sociolinguistic competence is the ability to interpret the social meaning of the choice of linguistic varieties and to use language with the appropriate social meaning for the communication situation.

	3 interactional competence:

		Interactional competence involves knowing and using the mostly-unwritten rules for interaction in various communication situations within a given speech community and culture. It includes, among other things, knowing how to initiate and manage conversations and negotiate meaning with other people. It also includes knowing what sorts of body language, eye contact, and proximity to other people are appropriate, and acting accordingly.

4 cultural competence:

Cultural competence is the ability to understand behavior from the standpoint of the members of a culture and and to behave in a way that would be understood by the members of the culture in the intended way. Cultural competence therefore involves understanding all aspects of a culture, but particularly the social structure, the values and beliefs of the people, and the way things are assumed to be done.

FOUR ELEMENTS OF DEFİNİTİON OF COMMUNİCATİON COMPETENCE BY CANALE AND SWAİN

1- Grammatical Competence: words and rules

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?)

2- Sociolinguistic Competence: appropriateness

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?

3- Discourse Competence: cohesion and coherence

Knowing how to interpret the larger context and how to construct longer stretches of language so that the parts make up a coherent whole. Discourse competence asks: How are words, phrases and sentences put together to create conversations, speeches, email messages, newspaper articles?

4- Strategic Competence: appropriate use of communicative strategies

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

Communicative Language Learning

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