Guide 2

1. How to develop the
Communicative Competence
with my students
By Sandra Pico G.

2. Grammatical competence is that aspect of communicative
competence that encompasses knowledge of lexical items
and of rules of morphology, syntax, sentence-grammar
semantics and phonology.
Discourse competence is 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. It is
everything from simple spoken conversation to lengthy
written texts.
Sociolinguistic competence is the knowledge of
sociocultural rules of language and of discourse. It
requires an understanding of the social context in which
language is used.
Strategic competence is a construct that is exceedingly
complex. It can be the verbal and nonverbal communication
strategies that may be called into action to compensate
for breakdowns in communication due to performance
variables or due to insufficient competence.

3. LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS

6. 7 Different Functions of Language
Instrumental
function serves to
manipulate the
environment, to
cause certain events
to happen.
Regulatory function
of language is the
control of events.
Representational
function is the use
of language to make
statements, convey
facts and knowledge,
explain or report.
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7. Interactional function of
language serves to ensure
social maintenance. It requires
knowledge of slang, jargon,
jokes, folklore, cultural mores,
politeness and formality
expectations and other keys
to social exchange
Personal function allows a
speaker to express feelings,
emotions, personality,
reactions. A person’s
individuality is usually
characterized by his or her
use of the personal function
of communication.
4 5

8. Heuristic function involves
language used to acquire
knowledge, to learn about the
environment. It is often
conveyed in the form of
questions that will lead to
answers.
Imaginative function serves
to create imaginary systems or
ideas. Telling fairy tales,
joking or writing a novel are all
uses od the imaginative
function.
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9. FUNCTIONAL SYLLABUSES
• Introducing a self and other people
• Exchanging personal information
• Asking how to spell someone’s name
• Giving commands
• Apologizing and thanking
• Identifying and describing people
• Asking for information

10. DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
It is the analysis of the relationship
between forms and functions of language.
• Conversation Analysis: Conversations
are cooperative ventures. Children
learn the first and essential rule of
conversation: attention getting

11. PRAGMATICS
It constraints on language comprehension
and production may be loosely though of
as the effect of context on strings of
linguistic events.
Pragmatic considerations allowed all
participants in a conversation to
interpret what would otherwise be
ambiguous sentences.
Language and Gender
One of the major pragmatic factors
affecting the acquisition of
communicative competence in virtually
every language, and one that has received
considerable attention is the effect of
one’s sex on both production an reception
of language.

12. STYLES AND REGISTERS
A style is not a social or regional dialect, but a variety of language used for a specific purpose. Styles
vary considerably within a single language user’s idiolect.
Joos M. (1967) provided a common classification of speech:
• An oratorical style, used in public speaking before a large audience.
• A deliberative style, used in addressing audiences, usually audiences too large to permit effective
interchange between speaker and hearers.
• A consultative style, typically a dialogue though formal enough that words are chosen with some
care.
• Casual conversations are between friends or colleagues or sometimes members of a family. Social
barriers are moderately low.
• An intimate style, characterized by complete absence od social inhibitions. Talk with family, loved
ones and very close.

13. NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
We communicate so much information
nonverbally in conversations that often
the verbal aspect of the conversion is
negligible. The expression of culture is so
bound up in nonverbal communication that
barriers of culture learning are more
nonverbal than verbal.
Kinesics
Body language. All cultures throughout
the history of humankind have relied on
kinesics for conveying important
messages. The gestural signals not always
are the same, they change according to
the place and culture.

14. Eye contact
Cultures differ widely in this particular
visual modality or nonverbal
communication. In American culture the
lack of eye contact can be interpreted as
a lack of attention, while in Japanese
culture, eye contact might be considered
rude.
Proxemics
Cultures vary widely in acceptable distances
for conversation.
Also cultures interpret different messages
in such objects distances.
Artifacts
The nonverbal messages of clothing and
ornamentation are also important aspects
of communication.

15. Kinesthetic
Touching is another culturally loaded
aspect of nonverbal communication. How
we touch others and where, is sometimes
the most misunderstood aspect of non
verbal communication.
Olfactory dimensions
As this aspect is too important for
animals, for human beings is important
too. Cultures have established different
dimensions of olfactory communication.