2. Communicative Competence
The definition of ‘communicative competence’ has been widely discussed or mentioned by many scholars. Hymes referred communicative competence as that
aspect of our competence that enables us to convey and interpret messages and to negotiate meanings interpersonally within specific contexts. Meanwhile,
Savignon 1983: 9 noted that “communicative competence is relative, not absolute, and depends on the cooperation of all the participants involved.
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Jack C. Richards noted that, “the capacity to use language appropriately in communication based on the setting, the roles of the participants, and the nature of
transaction was referred to as communicative competence”.
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Michael Canale has suggested 1983 that communicative competence has the following four components; the first two subcategories reflect the use of the linguistic
system itself; the last two define the functional aspects of communicative:
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a. Grammatical competence is that aspect of communicative competence that
encompasses “knowledge of lexical items and of rules of morphology, syntax, sentence-grammar semantic, and phonology” Canale and Swain 1980: 29. It
is the competence that we associate with mastering the linguistic code of a language, the “linguistic” competence of Hymes and Paulston, referred to
above. Krashen’s 1982 said that grammar can be acquired naturally from meaningful input and opportunities to interact in the classroom: in other
words, that grammatical competence can develop in a fluency-oriental environment without conscious on language forms.
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27
H. Douglas Brown, Principles of Language Learning and Teaching 4
th
edition , New York:
Addison Weslon Longman, Inc. : 2000, p. 246
28
Jack C. Richards, “Curriculum Development”…, p. 36
29
H. Douglas Brown, “Principles of Language Learning”…, p. 246-247
30
Tricia Hedge, Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000, p. 143-145
b. The second subcategory is discourse competence, the complement of
grammatical competence in many ways. It is the ability we have to connect sentences in stretches of discourse and to form a meaningful whole out of a
series of utterances. Discourses mean everything from simple spoken conversation to lengthy written texts article, books and the like. While
grammatical competence focuses on sentence level grammar, discourse competence is concerned with intersentential relationships.
c. Sociolinguistic competence is the knowledge of the sociocultural rules of
language and of discourse. This type of competence “requires are understanding of the social context in which language is used: the roles of the
participants, the information they share, and the function of the interaction. Only in a full context of this kind can judgments be made on the
appropriateness of a particular utterance” Savignon 1983: 37
d. The fourth subcategory is strategic competence, a content that is exceedingly
complex. Canale and Swain 1980: 30 described strategic competence as “the verbal and non verbal communication strategies that may be called into action
to compensate for breakdowns in communication due to performance variables or due to insufficient competence.” Strategic competence consists of
using communication strategies. These strategies come into play when learners are unable to express what they want to say because they lack the
resources to do so successfully. They compensate for this either by changing their original intention or by searching for other means of expression.
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Based on the statement above it is important to understand and to know communicative competence which included four domains of knowledge and skills,
i.e. Grammatical, discourse, sociolinguistic and strategic competence in language learning. The fourth characteristic of CLT often made it difficult for a no-native
speaking teacher who is not very proficient in the second language to teach
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Tricia Hedge, “Teaching and Learning”…, p. 52
effectively. Dialogs, drills, rehearsed exercises, and discussions in the first language of grammatical rules are much simpler for some no-native speaking teachers to
contend with. Here are the main core principles which make it the most successful language
learning approach in use today.
3.Basic Principles for Teachers
b. A teachers main role is a facilitator and monitor rather than leading the class. In other words, the guide by the side and not the sage on the stage.
c. Lessons are usually topic or theme based, with the target grammar hidden in the context e.g. a job interview.
d. Lessons are built round situationsfunctions practical and authentic in the real world e.g. asking for information, complaining, apologizing, job interviews,
telephoning. e. Activities set by the teacher have relevance and purpose to real life situations -
students can see the direct benefit of learning f. Dialogues are used that centre around communicative functions, such as
socializing, giving directions, making telephone calls g. Emphasis on engaging learners in more useful and authentic language rather than
repetitive phrases or grammar patterns h. Emphasis on communication and meaning rather than accuracy. Being understood
takes precedence over correct grammar. The fine tuning of grammar comes later. i. Emphasis is put on the “appropriacy” of language. What is the most appropriate
language and tone for a particular situation? j. Communicative competence is the desired goal. i.e. being able to survive,
converse and be understood in the language. k. Emphasis is put on correct pronunciation and choral group and individual
drilling is used
l. Authentic listening and reading texts are used more often, rather than artificial texts simply produced to feature the target language
m. Feedback and correction is usually given by the teacher after tasks have been completed, rather than at the point of error, thus interrupting the flow.
4.Basic Principles for Learners
a. Learners are often more motivated with this approach as they have an interesting what is being communicated, as the lesson is topic or theme based.
b. Learners are encouraged to speak and communicate from day one, rather than just barking out repetitive phrases
c. Learners practice the target language a number of times, slowly building on accuracy
d. Language is created by the individual, often through trial and error e. Learners interact with each other in pairs or groups, to encourage a flow of
language and maximize the percentage of talking time, rather than just teacher to student
f. Unless the focus is on the accuracy stage of the lesson, learners are corrected at the end of an activity so as not to interrupt their thought process
5. The Techniques and The Steps in Role Playing
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