Communicative Competence and Skills in Language Learning
Defining Communicative Competence
To understand the relationship between communicative competence and skills, we must first define communicative competence. It arises from the intersection of functional and social linguistics with fields like pragmatics, text linguistics, and discourse analysis. This provides a framework for understanding the social processes involved in language use.
Functional linguistics introduced the concept of communicative competence, which encompasses not only linguistic competence (knowledge of the linguistic code) but also knowledge of language use. This means understanding what a speaker needs to know to communicate effectively within a specific speech community.
Hymes expanded on this, suggesting that communicative competence includes rules of use alongside grammatical rules (syntax, semantics, and speech). Speakers require this knowledge to understand and utilize linguistic forms effectively.
Canale and Swain referred to linguistic competence as grammatical competence, while Chomsky argued that the focus of formalist linguistics should be on linguistic competence. He viewed it as an idealized abstraction of actual language behavior, representing the ideal speaker’s knowledge of language structure and the relationships between elements at various linguistic levels.
Three Essential Competences
Within communicative competence, we can identify three essential components:
- Textual Competence: The speaker/hearer’s ability to interpret individual elements within a text, connect them effectively, and integrate them into a cohesive spoken or written message.
- Interactional Competence: The speaker/hearer’s ability to engage in effective communication with an interlocutor.
- Sociolinguistic Competence: The speaker/hearer’s understanding of the social context in which communication occurs.
These competences work together to define and clarify the concept of communicative skills.
Communicative Language Teaching
Communicative language teaching emphasizes practicing structures in situational activities, similar to skills-based activities. This approach stems from a theory of language as communication, with key characteristics including:
- Language as a system for expressing meaning.
- The primary function of language being interaction and communication.
In this approach, learners actively negotiate meaning and interact in groups, while the teacher facilitates the communicative process. Materials used include textbooks, practice exercises, games, role-plays, and simulations.
Reading Skills and the Three Competences
Textual Competence in Reading
Reading relies heavily on textual competence. We perceive and decode symbols to read words, and our understanding of a text depends on comprehending those words. While decoding is crucial, we also bring our own interpretations based on the word’s shape and the text’s overall meaning. Complete word-by-word understanding isn’t always necessary for overall comprehension.
Various reading activities exist, with comprehension questions being a common tool for enhancing understanding. For simpler texts, tasks might not be necessary, but for more complex texts, note-taking can aid comprehension. Teachers can assess reading proficiency through comprehension tasks.
Activities like pre-questions, generating questions, providing titles, continuing stories, finding errors, and responding to letters can all improve reading cohesion and coherence.
Interactional Competence in Reading
Reading involves more than just decoding words; it requires understanding their meaning. Without comprehension, reading is ineffective.
Sociolinguistic Competence in Reading
Certain activities mentioned under textual competence allow for individual interpretation through open-ended questions. This highlights the role of context in shaping understanding, as different contexts can lead to varying interpretations.