Communicative Competence

Communicative Competence

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Grammatical/Linguistic Competence :

WORDS and RULES

• What words do I use?

• How do I put them into phrases or sentences?

• What tense do I use?

Sociolinguistic Competence: APPROPRIATENESS

• 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?

Strategic Competence:

APPROPRIATE USE of COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

• How can I express my ideas if I don't know the name of something or the right verb form to use?

• What do I do if the receiver has difficulty understanding my message?

• What do I do if I am misunderstood?

Discourse Competence:

COHESION and COHERENCE

• How are words, phrases, and sentences put together to create conversations, speeches, email messages, newspaper articles?

• How do I organize my thoughts so I can convey my message according to my intended meaning?

RECAP​

What is OUR GOAL?

Our goal is COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE. This is the ability to use language correctly and appropriately to accomplish communication goals.

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Our desired outcome is the ability to communicate competently, NOT the ability to use the language exactly as a native speaker does.