Communicative Competence

By Sandra Pico G.

Communicative Competence

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.

LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS

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Communication may be regarded as a combination of acts, a

series of elements with purpose and intent. It is not merely and

event, something that happens; it is functional, purposive and

designed to bring about some effect – some change, however

subtle or unobservable – on the environment of hearers and

speakers. Commemoration is a series of communicative acts or

speech acts. Researches have since been led to examine communication in

terms of the effect that utterances achieve. That effect has implications for both the production and comprehension of utterance. Second language learners need to understand the purpose of communication, developing an awareness of what the purpose of a communicative act is and how to achieve that purpose through linguistic forms.

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. 

1 2 3

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

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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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

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

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.

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.

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.

KinesicsBody 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.

Eye contactCultures 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.

ProxemicsCultures vary widely in acceptable distances for conversation. Also cultures interpret different messages in such objects distances.

ArtifactsThe nonverbal messages of clothing and ornamentation are also important aspects of communication.

KinestheticTouching 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 dimensionsAs this aspect is too important for animals, for human beings is important too. Cultures have established different dimensions of olfactory communication.