He must learn to use feedback to judge his success, and if necessary, remedy failure by using different language.
4. The learner must become aware of the social meaning of language forms.
For many learners, this may not entail the ability to vary their own speech to suit different social circumstances, but rather the ability to use generally
acceptable forms and avoid potentially offensive ones.
E. Communicative Competence
Communicative competence is a linguistic term showing a learner’s L2 ability. It refers to both learners’ ability to apply and use grammar rules and
form correct utterances. Besides, a learner has to know how to use these utterances appropriately.
The objective of CLT is the learner can communicate ideas with others based on the context of situation, while communicative competence is
characterized by dynamic rather a static concept. It depends on the negotiation of meaning between two or more persons who share to some degree the same
symbolic system. In this sense, communicative competence can be said to be an interpersonal rather than an intrapersonal trait. Communicative competence
is not only used in written language but also in spoken language. Communicative competence takes place in an infinite variety of situation, and
success in a particular role depends on one’s understanding of the context and prior experience of a similar kind. Because of this, communicative
competence is relative, not absolute, and depends on the corporation of all the participants involved.
Riggenbach 2002: 6-7 says that the concept of communicative competence is compatible with a discourse orientation to language: language
is intricate and multidimensional, yet it is systematic. Truly proficient of communicatively competence learners must be cognizant of the complex of
factors that affect perceptions about their language abilities. It is important to note that the notion of communicative competence has come to be associated
20
primarily with oral language skills, although many teachers and researchers have worked to expand the concept to include written language skills as well.
Further, Savignon 1983: 35 proposes four components of communicative competence that this framework identifies: grammatical
competence, sociolinguistic competence, discourse competence, and strategic competence. Grammatical Competence which is also called linguistic
competence means learners master lexical items and rules of morphology, syntax, semantics, and phonology. The capability of manipulating linguistic
features is to create words and sentences. It doesn’t deal with any single theory of grammar or it doesn’t assume the capability of making the rules of
usage. However, the students demonstrate grammatical competence by using a rule not by stating a rule. Therefore, grammar still exists to enable the students
to mean, as it is impossible to meaningfully communicate without grammar. Sociolinguistic competence concerns with the ability to produce or
recognize socially appropriate language within a given socio cultural context. It covers with an understanding of the social context in which language is
used, the role of the participants, the information they share, and the function of interaction.
Being able to connect utterances and sentences cohesively and coherently belongs to discourse competence. By using cohesion and coherent
signals the writers or speakers can create logical relationship of sentences or paragraph between parts of sentences. The cohesion relationship between
clauses and sentences and shown by lexical and conjunctive relations. In short, discourse competence is as the ability to produce and
recognize coherence and cohesive text. Besides, this includes the interpretation of sentences to form a meaningful whole and get coherent texts
which are relevant to real situation. Strategic competence deals with how to communicate effectively by
means of overcoming the handicaps and simultaneously improving effective communication. Further, it concerns with the ability to communicate
effectively to a variety of changing and often unexpected interpersonal 21
conditions, rephrasing, repetition, seeking clarification, emphasis, avoidance, and event massage modification to meet the demands of continuing
communication.
F. The International School – Immersion Program