Key Components of Communicative Language Ability
Understanding Communicative Language Ability
1. Linguistic Competence
Linguistic competence concerns the knowledge of the language itself, its form, and meaning. It encompasses grammar, spelling, pronunciation, vocabulary, sentence structure, and linguistic semantics (thanks to which the learner acquires a second language). Linguistic competence is a crucial part of communication because it teaches students to use the language rules correctly and be aware of potential errors. Grammar is often considered the most important acquisition when learning a language because it provides knowledge of grammatical concepts, categories, and rules. However, teaching methods vary; instructors must decide the best approach for learning. There are various types of classroom activities, such as:
- Focused activities
- Form activities that involve learners in finding meaning and aim at fluency.
Note: The acquisition of grammar will likely involve explicit knowledge of grammatical concepts, categories, and rules. Teachers will need to select the most suitable description of these from available resources.
2. Pragmatic Competence
Understanding context is essential to grasp meaning. Pragmatic competence is about using language effectively to achieve specific communicative goals. This involves:
- Illocutionary Knowledge: Recognizing that the same linguistic form can have different communicative functions depending on the context.
- Sociolinguistic Knowledge: Understanding that the same communicative function can be expressed using different linguistic forms. You can say something in various ways.
Social knowledge is necessary to select appropriate language forms for different settings and when interacting with people of different roles and statuses. For instance, you wouldn’t speak to a friend in the same way you speak to a teacher. This competence teaches the speaker to be contextually appropriate.
3. Discourse Competence
Learners of English need to be aware of how discourse functions, particularly regarding common cohesive devices. A discourse must make sense and follow logic; simply linking words and phrases is insufficient. Learners need strategies for navigating conversations, such as:
- Initiating
- Entering
- Interrupting
- Checking
- Confirming
These strategies help learners avoid getting lost in a conversation. They also need discourse markers (like conjunctions and connectors) to understand how ideas are linked and separated. The aim of discourse competence is to create coherent text or conversation that is understandable.
4. Strategic Competence
Strategic competence involves knowing how to keep the communicative channel open, employing strategies to help students communicate effectively, especially when they are unable to express precisely what they want to say due to inadequate English knowledge. Key strategies include:
- Achievement Strategies: Finding alternative ways to express something when the exact words or structures are unknown. This might involve trying to capture the listener’s attention or eliciting unknown information from the listener.
- Reduction Strategies: Avoiding linguistic forms or structures the speaker is insecure about and choosing simpler alternatives.
An advantage of this competence is that it helps maintain the conversation flow by focusing on essential words. For example, teaching students appropriate questions for requesting help is part of developing strategic competence.
5. Fluency
Fluency primarily relates to language production, especially speech. It is the ability to speak well enough to maintain interaction. Key aspects of fluency include:
- Responding coherently within conversational turns.
- Linking words and phrases smoothly.
- Pronouncing sounds clearly with appropriate stress and intonation.
- Doing all of the above relatively quickly.
Essentially, fluency is the ability to produce smooth, coherent speech in real-time interaction.