Communicative Competence 1.ppt

COMMUNICATIVE COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCECOMPETENCE

Objectives:Objectives:

Enable to determine the meaning of Enable to determine the meaning of communicative competencecommunicative competence

The The four competence areas.four competence areas.

Communicative CompetenceCommunicative Competence

is a term in linguistics which refers to a is a term in linguistics which refers to a language user's grammatical knowledge language user's grammatical knowledge of syntax, morphology, phonology and of syntax, morphology, phonology and the like, as well as social knowledge the like, as well as social knowledge about how and when to use utterances about how and when to use utterances appropriately.appropriately.

Chomsky’s distinction between Chomsky’s distinction between competence and performacecompetence and performace

Competence shared knowledge of Competence shared knowledge of ideal speaker-listener set in a completely ideal speaker-listener set in a completely homogenous speech community. homogenous speech community.

Performance: process of applying Performance: process of applying underlying knowledge to actual language underlying knowledge to actual language use.use.

ORIGINSORIGINSHymes Chomsky’view too narrow to describe language Hymes Chomsky’view too narrow to describe language

behavior as a whole.behavior as a whole.

Hymes concludes that a linguistic theory must be able to deal with a heterogeneous speech community, differential competence and the role of sociocultural features

Performance he defines it as the actual use of language in a concrete situation, not an idealized speaker-listener situation in a completely homogeneous speech community

ORIGINSORIGINS

Hymes Hymes two kinds of competence: linguistic competence, and the communicative competence

Linguistic competence that deals with producing and understanding grammatically correct sentences

Communicative competence that deals with producing and understanding sentences that are appropriate and acceptable to a particular situation.

ORIGINSORIGINS

Hymes coins a term “communicative competence” and defines it as “a knowledge of the rules for understanding and producing both the referential and social meaning of language.”

““Widdowson”Widdowson” knowing a language is more knowing a language is more than how to understand, speak, read,and write than how to understand, speak, read,and write sentences, and how sentences are used to sentences, and how sentences are used to communicate.communicate.

communicative abilities have to be developed communicative abilities have to be developed at the same time as the linguistic skills; at the same time as the linguistic skills; otherwise the mere acquisition of the linguistic otherwise the mere acquisition of the linguistic skills may inhibit the development of skills may inhibit the development of communicative abilities.communicative abilities.

(Canale & Swain, 1980) They strongly believe that the study of grammatical competence is as essential to the study of communicative competence as is the study of sociolinguistic competence.

They propose their own theory of communicative competence that minimally

includes three main competencies: grammatical, sociolinguistic and strategic competence.

ORIGINSORIGINS

Grammatical competence includes knowledge of lexical items and of rules of morphology,syntax,sentence―grammar semantics, and phonology.

Sociolinguistic competence is made up of two sets of rules: sociolinguistic rules of use and rules of discourse. They believe that knowledge of these rules will be crucial in interpreting utterances for social meaning

ORIGINSORIGINS

Strategic competence is made up of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies that may be called into action to compensate for breakdowns in communication due to performance variables or to insufficient grammatical competence

BACHMAN’S VIEWBACHMAN’S VIEW

The organizational competence is divided into grammatical competence and textual competence.

Bachman’s grammatical competence is consonant with Canale and Swain’s grammatical competence.

The textual competence, pertains to the knowledge of conventions for cohesion and coherence and rehetorical organization. It also includes conventions for language use in conversations, involving starting, maintaining, and closing conversations.

Bachman’s textual competence have both the part of Canale and Swain’s discourse competence andthe part of their strategic competence.

COMMUNICATIVE COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE THEN…COMPETENCE THEN…

Communicative competence is made up of four Communicative competence is made up of four competence areas: linguistic, sociolinguistic, competence areas: linguistic, sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic.discourse, and strategic.

Linguistic competenceLinguistic competence is knowing how to use is knowing how to use the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of a the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of a language. language.


Sociolinguistic competenceSociolinguistic competence is knowing how is knowing how to use and respond to language appropriately, to use and respond to language appropriately, given the setting, the topic, and the given the setting, the topic, and the relationships among the people relationships among the people communicating.communicating.


Discourse competenceDiscourse competence is knowing how is knowing how

to interpret the larger context and how to to interpret the larger context and how to

construct longer stretches of language so construct longer stretches of language so

that the parts make up a coherent whole.that the parts make up a coherent whole.


Strategic competenceStrategic competence is knowing how is knowing how to recognize and repair communication to recognize and repair communication breakdowns, how to work around gaps in breakdowns, how to work around gaps in one’s knowledge of the language, and one’s knowledge of the language, and how to learn more about the language how to learn more about the language and in the context.and in the context.

Probably the most difficult competence to acquire is Probably the most difficult competence to acquire is sociolinguistic. This is concerned with choosing the sociolinguistic. This is concerned with choosing the right words for the situation. It is sociolinguistic right words for the situation. It is sociolinguistic competence which differentiates between a good competence which differentiates between a good speaker and a native-like speaker. This aspect often speaker and a native-like speaker. This aspect often differs greatly from culture to culture and errors can differs greatly from culture to culture and errors can often make a speaker sound rude, arrogant or just often make a speaker sound rude, arrogant or just strange.strange.

So what is sociolinguistic So what is sociolinguistic competence?competence?

Holmes : ‘the knowledge which underlies people’s Holmes : ‘the knowledge which underlies people’s ability to use language appropriately’. and further ‘how ability to use language appropriately’. and further ‘how to use language for different functions […]. Learning to to use language for different functions […]. Learning to speak appropriately in a range of contexts is important speak appropriately in a range of contexts is important if one wants to avoid giving offence, reducing everyone if one wants to avoid giving offence, reducing everyone to hysterical laughter, or embarrassing others by a to hysterical laughter, or embarrassing others by a sociolinguistic faux pas’. sociolinguistic faux pas’.

Bayley and Regan: ‘knowledge of Bayley and Regan: ‘knowledge of variation is part of speaker competence. variation is part of speaker competence. […] in order to become fully proficient in […] in order to become fully proficient in the target language learners need to the target language learners need to acquire native speaker patterns of acquire native speaker patterns of variation’. variation’.

Regionally / socially / culturally accepted language Regionally / socially / culturally accepted language abilityFeatures of sociolinguistic competence:abilityFeatures of sociolinguistic competence:

1. Dialect: regional OR social differences in Dialect 1. Dialect: regional OR social differences in Dialect language. (For example, RP is social and not language. (For example, RP is social and not regional). regional).

2. Register: considering ones audience AND social 2. Register: considering ones audience AND social Register contextRegister context

3. Naturalness: staying in the bounds of 3. Naturalness: staying in the bounds of what is Naturalness "common" usage of what is Naturalness "common" usage of the language.the language.

4. Cultural Aspects: adhering to cultural 4. Cultural Aspects: adhering to cultural Aspects expectations when using the Aspects expectations when using the language, including figures of speech, language, including figures of speech, proper time and place, etc. proper time and place, etc.

Sociolinguistic competence is evident in many aspects of language:

• Phonology • Grammar • Lexical • Pragmatics

Phonology -> From a phonological point of view, the most studied point has been /in/ and /iŋg/ as in ‘I’m goin’ to the cinema’ and ‘I’m going to the cinema’

Other points include: • Do you like ice-cream? /dju/ like ice-cream?• In an Irish context:/d/, /t/ and /ð/ /θ/

Grammar • I did my homework / *I done my

homework • I should have gone there / *I should

have went there • I’ll take those books / *I’ll take them

books

Lexical Including: • informal/formal (e.g. pop in/visit) • Dialect (e.g. cops/police/guards)

Pragmatics speech acts such as greeting, requesting, advising, suggesting, complaining etc. This is the area where non-native speakers can have serious problems.

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Communicative Competence 1.ppt