functions accurately”.
33
Although grammar is not stressed exclusively, it is concerned how the learners are able to produce a communication with the
correct grammar. Grammar is important, and learners seem to focus best on grammar when it relates to their communicative needs and
experiences.
34
This means there is a special consideration for grammar lesson in this method and it affiliates to other competencies to work
together. After having viewed several theories of Communicative Approach,
it may be understood partially of its essence, as it has been asserted by Marianne Celce-Murcia that “The essence of Communicative Language
Teaching is the engagement of learners in communication in order to allow them to develop their communicative competence”.
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2. The Communicative Competence
Communicative competence, as shown in the previous discussion, is the aim of language learning in Communicative Approach. According to
Menachem B. Dagut, communicative competence is “the ability to communicate both actively, by expression, and passively, by
comprehension, in the foreign language”.
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Meanwhile, as it is found in a website about communicative competence, it tells that “Communicative competence is a linguistic term
which refers to a learners L2 ability. It not only refers to a learners ability to apply and use grammatical rules, but also to form correct utterances,
and know how to use these utterances appropriately”.
37
33
Michael Canale and Merrill Swain, Approaches to Communicative Competence, 30 Orange Grove Road: Seameo Regional Language Centre, 1980, occasional papers no. 14, p. 2.
34
Celce-Murcia, Teaching English …, third edition, p. 25.
35
Celce-Murcia, Teaching English …, p. 27.
36
Dagut, “a Teaching …, p. 2.
37
http:en.wikipedia.orgwikiCommunicative_competence Friday, 3
rd
of August 2007: 19.56.
From both references, it is obvious that communicative competence means the learners ability to use language in their
communication regarding to its utterances and use of structures. Communicative competence involves being able to use the
language appropriate to a given social context.
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Also, as cited by Scott Thornbury, “Communicative competence involves knowing how to use
the grammar and vocabulary of the language to achieve communicative goals and knowing how to do this in a socially appropriate way”.
39
Therefore, Diane Larsen-Freeman suggests that to accomplish those, “… students need knowledge of the linguistic forms, meanings, and
functions”.
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Canale and Swain 1980 in Approach and Methods in Language Teaching written by Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers mention
that there are four dimensions to identify communicative competence as follows:
… four dimensions of communicative competence are identified: grammatical competence, sociolinguistic competence, discourse
competence, and strategic competence. Grammatical competence refers to what Chomsky calls linguistic competence and what Hymes intends by
what is “formally possible.” It is the domain of grammatical and lexical capacity. Sociolinguistic competence refers to an understanding of the
social context in which communication takes place, including role relationships, the shared information of the participants, and the
communicative purpose for their interaction. Discourse competence refers to the interpretation of individual message elements in terms of their
interconnectedness and how meaning is represented in relationship to the entire discourse or text. Strategic competence refers to the coping
strategies that communicators employ to initiate, terminate, maintain, repair, and redirect communication.
41
38
Diane Larsen-Freeman, Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986, p. 131.
39
Thornbury, How to …, p. 18.
40
Larsen-Freeman, Techniques and …, p. 131.
41
Richards and Rodgers, Approaches and …, p. 71.
The previous explanation tells how communicative competence, which is interpreted in every single term, is classified. Furthermore,
another comprehensive classification, as found in website, refers to: a.
Grammatical competence: is the degree to which the language user has mastered the linguistic code, including vocabulary, grammar,
pronunciation, spelling, and word formation. b.
Sociolinguistic competence: is the extent to which utterances can be used or understood appropriately in various social contexts. It includes
knowledge of speech acts such as persuading, apologizing, and describing.
c. Discourse competence: is the ability to combine ideas to achieve
cohesion in form and coherence in thought, above the level of the single sentence.
d. Strategic competence: is the ability to use strategies like gestures or
“talking around” an unknown word in order to overcome limitation in language knowledge.
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Finally, it is clear that in learning a language, the learners need not only knowledge of structures and vocabularies, but also they require to
know how the language elements work together when the learners try to produce a well communication as an achievement of communicative
competence.
3. The Characteristics and Features of Communicative Approach
