Developing your Communicative Competence

Developing Your
Communicative Competence
Interactive English, Listening,
Speaking and Grammar

Theory of Communicative Competence
• Knowledge about the form or structure of a
language isn’t a guarantee of being able to use it
in actual communication situations.
• No evidence that students who do well on tests
will excel in their careers.
• Castillo: from form and structure of language to
functions of language.
• Language learning needs and communications
situations become the crucial point of teaching.

• Focused on grammar or rules of correct
usage for one’s language structure or form
mastery.
• Basic Principle of a structure-based
language teaching method: Audio-Lingual
method or the Aural-Oral approach (new
key approach to language teaching)

• The advent of a new belief: language is
acquired in the context of natural situations.
• Language Competence is seen as focusing
not on grammar or the structure of
language alone but on its wider SOCIO-
CULTURAL AND EXTRA-LINGUISTIC
CONTEXT.

• Framework of communicative
competence is associated with notions of
language functions. (language functions
– grammatical points)
• Grammatical Competence is mastery of
the linguistic code; the ability to
recognize:

• lexical (spelling),
• morphological (meaning-bearing units of
a language),
• syntactical (meaning),
• and phonological (sounds) features to
form words and sentences.

• Learners in a communicative classroom learn to
use a rule of usage/grammar, not to state as was
the intent of language teaching using the audio-
linguistic method.
• In Communicative Approach, both
form/structure and meaning in language are
emphasized
• Language use and usage are two different
aspects.

4 Dimensions of Communicative Comp.:
• 1. Grammatical Competence – linguistic
competence, mastery of linguistic code,
ability to recognize the lexical (spelling),
morphological (meaning-bearing units of a
language), syntactical (meaning), and
phonological (sounds) features to form
words and sentences demonstrated by the
ability to use a rule, not to state a rule.

• 2. Sociolinguistic Competence –
understanding and knowledge of the social
rules of language. The social context in
which language is used; the roles of
participants; the information they share and
the function of interaction has to do with
the appropriateness of an utterance.

• 3. Discourse Competence – ability to
produce and understand a series of
utterances that form a meaningful whole
• 4. Strategic Competence – ability to
compensate for the communication
breakdown and for imperfect knowledge of
rules; like coping or survival strategies.

• Language Teaching Approach = Rules of
Usage and Rules in Language or CLT
• CLT – Communicative Language Teaching
or CA (Communicative Approach)
Communication Principles

Principles of CLT or CA:
• 1. Communication involves much more than
simply knowledge of forms; depends on the
ability to use forms in appropriate ways.
• Not only knowing the rules of grammar but
also how to use the language skills in socio-
cultural context the learners are exposed to.

• 2. Communication should result in the
performance of some real and specific
tasks in a foreign language.
• This calls for the ability of the language
learner to use language in actual
situations

• 3. Communication cannot be easily analyzed into
component features without its nature being
destroyed in the process.
• It’s not enough to be able to decipher or produce
individual elements of the message. What is needed
is the ability to work in the context of the whole.
• The meaning of the message should not be taken
based on individual elements but the whole meaning
of the message.

• 4. The 3 vital processes of communication are as
follows
• A. Information gap. Communication entails
information transfer in order to connect lapses
interaction.
• B. Choice. Communication involves choosing the
ideas to be expressed at a given moment and
likewise adopting the appropriate linguistic forms to
verbalize such concepts.

• C. Feedback. Communication must
adequately provide practice in using
language for real purposes that is the
verbalization of the speaker’s aims in
everyday interaction.

• 5. The aforementioned processes of
communication can be solely
implemented through practicing
communicative activities thus affirming a
cardinal tenet of learning – that is, one
learns to do by doing.

• 6. Communication is severely hampered
by a number of glaring grammatical and
phonological mistakes

• Inferred by authorities in the field of
language teaching methodology:
• 1. The emphasis of the communicative
approach lends heavily on teaching
communication competence, socio-
linguistic competence (Canale and Swain:
1980)
Salient Features of the CA

• 2. The communicative approach affords the
second language learners optimum practice
in the use of the target language in as much
as the corresponding repertoire of
communicative techniques and activities
promote greater interaction between
learner and teacher and among learners.

• 3. The communicative method’s concentration
on aspects of the use of language results in the
commission of mistakes, particularly of grammar;
however, formal accuracy must be sacrificed for
language use.
• Obvious errors in language forms though,
demand the language teacher’s immediate
attention and rectification (correction) (Morrow:
1994)

• 4. Learning to use the language at the
discourse or above the sentence level offers
the students adequate activities in cohesion
(how we join sentences together to form
grammatical units) and coherence (how we
organize our sentences to form sense units,
a meaningful flow of ideas). (Freeman:
1986)

Grammatical units
• Morpheme- smallest unit of speech
• word- meaningful unit
• phrase- string of words
• clause- group of words
• Sentence- meaningful linguistic unit

Grammatical units
E.g.
The man whom you have seen is one of the
best Vietnamese pianists.

• 5. In communicative-oriented classrooms,
the seating arrangement adopted
concretizes the invariable nature of group
dynamics – that is, chairs are arranged in
small groups, not in regimental rows.
• Such convenient structuring ensures
maximum structuring and maximum
student interaction and participation.
(Morrow: 1993)

• 6. The teacher facilitates his/her students’
learning by establishing situations likely to
promote communication.
• During the activities, s/he likewise acts as an
advisor – that is, answering students’
questions and monitoring as a co-
communicator and engages in the
communicative activity along with the
students (Morrow: 1993).

• 1. Speaking. A communicative approach
to speaking emphasizes the use of
language above the level of the sentence.
• 2. Listening. This language skill cannot be
isolated from other language skills.
4 Skills in CLT

• 3. Reading. Reading is carried out for the
purpose. It is done in order to obtain information
which is presented in written form.
• The trend in current practice is towards
developing reading techniques such as scanning
(to locate a known item), search reading (for
information), skimming (to gain an idea of the
organization of the text), receptive reading (to
discover accurately what the writer wishes to
convey), and responsive reading (to reflect upon
what the writer has written). (White: 1993)
4 Skills in CLT

• 1. Role Playing
Highlights
Reduces the artificiality of the classroom
Provides a reason for talking
Allows the learner to talk meaningfully to other
learners.
Enables the students to choose whatever language
he or she pleases
Develops the character of situation as the student
wishes
Procedures & Techniques

Procedures
• Setting of the situation. The teacher
outlines the situation for the students to
understand the nature of the role play.
• Role Preparation. The teacher allows the
students to choose for themselves.
• The Role Play. A role play involve the whole
class but more often the smaller groups
within the class.

Procedures
• Follow up. A role play can be followed-up
in two ways: a) Corrections – During the
role play, the teacher should have been
making notes of mistakes and the most
serious ones pointed out afterwards;

Procedures
• b) Conversation and further activity –
Most role plays lend themselves to
discussion. Students can be asked to
write their own role play in the form of
language.

• 2. Simulations
Highlights
• Invites participation from students.
• Provides opportunities for creativity and
imagination.
• Offers those involved in the simulation a
chance to develop self-confidence and
exercise strategic competence.

Procedures
• Preparation
• The Simulation
• Follow-Up: Correction and further
activity

3. Games
Highlights
• Fosters natural, creative, authentic
language behavior
• Involves the use of functional categories
which will have wider applications

The Technique
• Based on observation and memory
• Based on interpretation
• Based on individual/group interaction
• Board Games, e.g. monopoly
• Card games, e.g. Tarot
• Pencil and paper games

Sample Activities to Develop CA
Role Playing and Simulations
Example 1
Look at a Road Map (Either duplicated or projected)
A stranger standing at point A asks the way to the bank
1. Excuse me.
2. Yes?
3. Could you tell me how to get to the bank, please?

4. Yes, of course. Go along this road as far as the
traffic lights. Then turn right into Kalaw Street and
its on the left.
5. Is it far?
6. No, not very far.
7. Thank you very much.
8. You’re welcome.

Example 2
Now, get a pair, taking turns to ask for and give
directions to a stranger standing at a certain point
who:
1. Wants to get to the City Hall
2. Wants to get to the post office
3. Wants to get to the church
4. Wants to get to the Fernando’s Supermarket
5. Wants to get to the GSIS

Example 3
Topic: The Miss Universe Pageant to take place in CCP Manila
Bay
• The planning committees work on finance, program, social
activities etc.
• A television newscast with interviews of key personalities
• A scene at the airport where one of the contestants has lost
her luggage, and other similar activities.
• Listening to discussions and interviews of beauty
contestants.
• Reading proposed financial report, agenda items, and
proposal to set the scene.
• Writing of invitations, planned questions for interviews…

Example 4
At the Post Office (Sturtridge: 1993)
A. I’d like to post this __________ please.
B. Put it on the scales. Where to?
A. To________________________.
B. That’ll be________________________.
A.________________________________.
B.________________________________.

Example 5
The Invitation (Sturtridge: 1993)
You meet your friend B at the supermarket. You are having a party
on Saturday and you would like B to come. The party is informal.
Tell B what time to come. Say how glad you are that s/he is coming.
Cues:
- We’re having a party…
- Are you doing anything on Saturday?
- It’s very informal…
- Come as you are.
- That’s great.
- That’ll be lovely

Example 6
Borrowing Something (2 friends)
A B
Ask B to lend you something. ____________________
_______________________ Ask reason.
Give reason Agree: add a condition
Agree Give object to A
(words or action)
Thank B ____________________
End of Conversation

Developing your Communicative Competence

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