Communicative competence involves both linguistic and sociolinguistic rules of language. It has four main components: linguistic competence involving grammar, sociolinguistic competence involving appropriate language use for different contexts, discourse competence involving coherent language structures, and strategic competence involving repairing communication breakdowns. Sociolinguistic competence, involving dialect, register, naturalness and cultural aspects, is particularly difficult for non-native speakers to acquire as it differs across cultures and languages.

1. COMMUNICATIVE
COMPETENCE

2. Communicative competence is concerned not only with how
grammar/lexis is managed but also with the socio-cultural rules of
appropriate language use.
Communication
Grammatical rules Sociolinguistic rules

3. Communicative competence was further defined
in terms of four components:
1. Linguistic competence
knowing how to use the grammar, syntax and vocabulary of a language.
2. Sociolinguistic competence
knowing how to use and respond to language appropriately, given the setting, the
topic, and the relationships among the people communicating.
3. Discourse competence
knowing how to interpret the larger context and how to construct longer
stretches of language so that the parts make up a coherent whole.
4. Strategic competence
knowing how to recognize and repair communication breakdowns, how to
work around gaps in one’s knowledge of the language, and how to learn more
about the language in the context.

4. 1. Linguistic competence
knowing how to use the grammar, syntax
and vocabulary of a language.
Linguistic competence asks:
What words do I use?
How do I put them into phrases and
sentences?

5. 2. Sociolinguistic competence
knowing how to use and respond to
language appropriately, given the setting,
the topic and the relationships among the
people communicating.
Sociolinguistic competence asks:
Which words and phrases fit this setting and
this topic? How can I express a specific attitude
(courtesy, authority, friendliness, respect) when
I need to?
How do I know what attitude another person is
expressing?

6. 3. Discourse competence
knowing how to interpret the larger
context and how to construct longer
stretches of language so that the parts
make up a coherent whole.
Discourse competence asks:
How are words, phrases and sentences put
together to create conversations,
speeches, email messages, newspaper
articles?

7. 4. Strategic competence
knowing how to recognize and repair communication
breakdowns, how to work around gaps in one’s
knowledge of the language, and how to learn more
about the language in the context.
Strategic competence asks:
How do I know when I’ve misunderstood or when
someone has misunderstood me? What do I say
then? How can I express my ideas if I don’t know
the name of something or the right verb form to
use?

8. This definition of communicative competence has become
canonical in applied linguistics. However, not everyone
agrees with it. Some linguists see lexical and grammatical
competence as separate components whereas discourse
and strategic competences are considered as subsections
of sociolinguistic competence.

9. Others make further subdivisions of sociolinguistic
competence; i.e. pragmatics where there is a stronger
focus on speech acts, i.e. requesting, complaining, advising,
suggesting etc
Pragmatic competence: the ability to understand
another speaker's intended meaning

10. Probably the most difficult competence to
acquire is sociolinguistic. This is concerned
with choosing the right words for the
situation. It is sociolinguistic competence
which differentiates between a good speaker
and a native-like speaker. This aspect often
differs greatly from culture to culture and
errors can often make a speaker sound rude,
arrogant or just strange.

11. So what is sociolinguistic
competence?
• Holmes : ‘the knowledge which underlies
people’s ability to use language appropriately’.
and further ‘how to use language for
different functions […]. Learning to speak
appropriately in a range of contexts is
important if one wants to avoid giving
offence, reducing everyone to hysterical
laughter, or embarrassing others by a
sociolinguistic faux pas’.

12. So what is sociolinguistic
competence?
2. Bayley and Regan: ‘knowledge of
variation is part of speaker
competence. […] in order to become
fully proficient in the target language
learners need to acquire native
speaker patterns of variation’.

13. So what is sociolinguistic
competence?
Regionally / socially / culturally
accepted language ability
Features of sociolinguistic competence:
1. Dialect: regional OR social differences in
Dialect
language. (For example, RP is social and not regional).
2. Register: considering one's audience AND social
Register
context
3. Naturalness: staying in the bounds of what is
Naturalness
"common" usage of the language.
4. Cultural Aspects: adhering to cultural
Aspects
expectations when using the language, including
figures of speech, proper time and place, etc.

14. Sociolinguistic competence is
evident in many aspects of
language:
• Phonology
• Grammar
• Lexical
• Pragmatics

15. Phonology
From a phonological point of view, the
most studied point has been /in/ and
/iŋ/ as in ‘I’m goin’ to the cinema’ and
‘I’m going to the cinema’
Other points include:
• Do you like ice-cream?
/dju/ like ice-cream?
• In an Irish context:
/d/, /t/ and /ð/ /θ/

16. Grammar
• I did my homework /
*I done my homework
• I should have gone there /
*I should have went there
• I’ll take those books /
*I’ll take them books

17. Lexical
Including:
• informal/formal (e.g. pop in/visit)
• Dialect (e.g. cops/police/guards)
However, also consider these statements by
non-native speakers:
• ‘My daddy is a fireman’ - spoken by a 30 year
old male
• ‘We’re going to the seaside today’ - spoken by
a secondary school teacher

18. Pragmatics
speech acts such as greeting, requesting,
advising, suggesting, complaining etc.
This is the area where non-native speakers can
have serious problems.
Obvious examples include:
• Hi, Jim!
• Good morning, Mr Smith
And
• Give me a pen!
• Could you pass me the pen?

19. Pragmatics
But it is important to stress that it is not just
about register. Look at the following
examples:
• Excuse me; do you know where the post office
is?
• Sorry; you don’t happen to know where the
post office is, do you?
*
• What is your name?
• And, what is your name again?

20. Pragmatics
English pragmatics has been defined by:
• Indirectness
• Orientation towards other
• Orientation towards addressees
• Implicitness
• Verbal routines
(House 2002)

21. Softeners
Another important feature of English is the
use of softeners, particularly softening
questions.
E.g.
A Can I ask you a question?’
B Can I just ask you a question? – “just” softens
the question to mean
‘I want to ask you a question but I don’t want to
inconvenience you and it’ll only take a short time’.