Flashcards on Communicative Competence in ELT

Communicative Competence in ELT: A Full Guide for Students

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What is the aim of English language teaching as stated in the content?

The aim is communicative competence: the ability to use the language correctly, accurately, effectively and appropriately to the context of the situat

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Communicative competence in English teaching

21 cards

Card 1

Question: What is the aim of English language teaching as stated in the content?

Answer: The aim is communicative competence: the ability to use the language correctly, accurately, effectively and appropriately to the context of the situat

Card 2

Question: How does Noam Chomsky (1965) distinguish 'competence' from 'performance'?

Answer: Competence is the underlying linguistic knowledge to create and understand sentences (including novel ones); performance is the actual use of language

Card 3

Question: According to Chomsky, what does 'language competence' enable a person to do?

Answer: It enables a person to create and understand sentences, including sentences they have never heard before.

Card 4

Question: What did Sandra Savignon research and encourage in 1971 relevant to communicative competence?

Answer: She researched practicing the use of coping strategies and encouraged learners to ask for information, ask for clarification, take risks, and negotiat

Card 5

Question: Which competence in later models is based on the communicative strategies identified by Savignon?

Answer: Strategic competence (identified by Canale and Swain) was based on Savignon’s communicative strategies.

Card 6

Question: What was Dell Hymes' critique of Chomsky's view (1972)?

Answer: Hymes argued Chomsky’s view was too narrow: linguistic competence is only one component and rules of language use (appropriateness) are also required

Card 7

Question: What three components did Canale and Swain propose in 1980 for communicative competence?

Answer: Grammatical competence, sociolinguistic competence, and strategic competence.

Card 8

Question: Which component did Canale add later, and what does it involve?

Answer: Canale later added discourse competence: mastery of rules for combining forms and meanings to achieve coherent, cohesive texts (meaningful unity of te

Card 9

Question: What two components did Jan van Ek add in 1986 to the Canale and Swain model?

Answer: Social competence and socio-cultural competence.

Card 10

Question: How is 'social competence' defined in van Ek's addition?

Answer: Social competence is the will and the skill to interact with others and the ability to handle social situations.