What is communicative competence? Communication? How can we teach communication?

1. Communicative
competence
MONTSE IRUN
MIRUN@DAL.UDL.CAT

2. Index
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 Communicative competence
 Definition
 components
 Communication
 Communication in the classroom

3. Communicative
competence
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4. Definition
Communicative competence is what
a speaker needs to know in order to
be communicatively competent in a
speech community.
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5. Communicative
competence
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Linguistic
Competence
(N. Chomsky, 1965)
Communicative competence
(D. Hymes, 1972)

6. Components of the
communicative competence
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Linguistic
Competence
Socio-
Linguistic
Competence
Discursive
Competence
Strategic
Competence
Socio-
cultural
Competence
Canale & Swain (1980), Canale (1983), Van Ek y Trim (1984)

7. Components definition
(c) Montse Irun http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/eslapb/about_communicative_competence.html

8. Communication
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9. Why communication?
 Language is a dynamic resource for
the creation of meaning.
 Communication is our aim in foreign
language teaching.
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10. Communication
 Communication is
Speaking and interacting
Reading and listening
Writing
When there is a message to convey (focus
on the message). Monologue o dialogue
When the emphasis is on beginning or
holding social relationships (focus on social
needs)(c) Montse Irun

11. (c) Montse Irun
What does communication entail?
 Communicating orally
(speaking, listening,
interacting)
 Communicating in written
form: texts that explain, tell,
describe, organise ideas, tell
how to do things, try to
convince, etc.
 Master audiovisual languages

12. (c) Montse Irun

13. Communication
in the classroom
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14. Overview
 Which percentage
of class time is
devoted to each
skill?
 And to English as a
formal system?
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15. Overview
 “L’objectiu bàsic és la comunicació. Si el
que s’ha de saber sobre la llengua és en
profit de la comunicació, endevant.[ ..]. Jo
els hi dic que el que m’interessa és que
utilitzin la llengua, no que la coneguin. No
em serveix de res que em diguin que el
present continuous es fa amb un verb amb –
ing i precedit del to be.” (Teacher 3)
(Cots, Irun, Llurda, 2002)
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16. Overview
T: Pepe, what did you do in summer?
P: I goed to Majorca and met Rafa Nadal.
T: No, you went to Majorca. Maria, what
did you do?
T: Pepe, what did you do in summer?
P: I goed to Majorca and met Rafa Nadal
T: Great! So you WENT to Majorca. Maria,
what did you do?
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17.  There si no point in learning how to use the verbal
tenses if they don’t know how to use them
communicatively
What’s the point
of knowing when
to use a verbal
tense if it is not
used in
communication?

18. Communication in the
classroom
BICS
•Socialising
•Managing the classroom
CALPS
•Learning contents
•Communicating contents
Learning
skills
•Developing speaking and writing
•Sharing written and oral texts

19. Make your students use English
communicatively and effectively
Make your student use English
communicatively and effectively

20. Three principles
 the communication principle:
Activities that involve
communication promote lg
learning.
 the task principle: Activities
that involve the completion of
real-world tasks promote
learning.
 the meaningfulness principle:
Learners must be engaged in
meaningful and authentic
language use for learning to
take place.

21. Influences
 The primary function of language is for
interaction and communication.
 Language is a system for the expression of
meaning.
 Authentic materials should be used.
 True communication is purposeful.
 Activities are better carried out in small
groups in which interaction among students
are maximized.

22. Characteristics of communicative
activities
 communicative purpose
 communicative desire
 content (what) not form
 variety of language
 no teacher intervention
 no materials control
(Rod Ellis)
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The activities that truly
communicative have features
of information gap, choice,
and feedback; they must be
guided by the teacher for
unrehearsed situations.

23. Is this activity communicative?
 Look at these two pictures. What do they like doing
in their free time?
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24. Skills and communication
Language practice Communication
Speaking
Correcting exercises
orally
Expressing an opinion
Listening
Listening to this and try
to understand everything
Listening to the news
Writing
Writing the questions to
these answers
Writing an e-mail to
your friend
Reading
Reading a text in order to
answer the questions
that follow
Reading about your
favourite actor
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25. Four conditions for language
learning
 Exposure to input.
 Attention focused
 Do something with it
 Comprehensible
 Authentic
 Interesting
 Production of output
 What kind?
 Memorization
 How?
 Motivation
 Types
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Instruction hastens the
process (communicative
activities)

26. Characteristics of effective activities
 End product.
 Real objective.
 Simple.
 Interesting.
 All students participate.
 Students use English a lot.
 Highly motivating.
 Real communication.
 Acceptably accurate.
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27. An activity is effective if …
 Motivating (topic,
activity)
 Communicative
 Meaningful (own
meaning, no structural
focused)
 Authentic (real world)
 Aims to achieve an
objective/ result
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28. Implications in the class
 Use English for practical aims (tasks)
 Don’t avoid communicative obstacles.
 Solve problems through interaction.
 Make students responsible for the activity
management
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29. Key
Competencies
Content
Tasks Cooperative
Learning
European Common Framework
Communicative
Competence
PRE-TASK
Topic and task
presentation
TASK
Activities – Attention to
form and use - Planning
Rich
Socialization
Teaching Proposal
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30. Task
 Meaning
 End Product
 Real world activity
 Assessment according to the result.
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31. Useful websites
http://scottthornbury.wo
rdpress.com/tag/comm
unicative-approach/
Minute 7’ 50’’ to 30’
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32. (c) Montse Irun