Communicative competence

Teaching English for communication. Types of communication

Teaching English for communication

Lecture 5

Objectives:SWBAT describe 4 types of communication; distinguish between four competence areas.

Plan

1. Teaching English for communication. Types of communication
2. Communicative competence

Communication is a process that involves exchange of information, thoughts, ideas and emotions. Communication is a process that involves a sender who encodes and sends the message, which is then carried via the communication channel to the receiver where the receiver decodes the message, processes the information and sends an appropriate reply via the same communication channel. As for cross-cultural or inter-cultural communication, it is how people from different countries and cultures act, communicate and perceive the world around them.

Types of Communication

Verbal communication is divided into written and oral. Oral communication can be face- face communication or a conversation over a phone or on a voice chat over the Internet. Written communication can be either via mail, or email.

Non-verbal communication includes the overall body language of the person who is speaking, which will include the body posture, the hand gestures, and overall body movements. The facial expressions also play a major role while communication since the expressions on a person’s face say a lot about his/her mood. Non verbal communication can also be in the form of pictorial representations, signboards, or even photographs, sketches and paintings.

Formal communication includes all the instances where communication has to occur in a set formal format. Typically this can include all sorts of business communication or corporate communication. The style of communication in this form is very formal and official. Formal communication can also occur between two strangers when they meet for the first time

. Informal Communication includes instances of free unrestrained communication between people who share a casual relationship with each other. Informal communication occurs between friends and family. Informal communication does not have any rigid rules and guidelines.

Language teaching is based on the idea that the goal of language acquisition is communicative competence: the ability to use the language correctly and appropriately to accomplish communication goals.

Communicative competence is made up of four competence areas: linguistic, sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic.

Linguistic competence is knowing how to use the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of a language. Linguistic competence asks: What words do I use? How do I put them into phrases and sentences?

Sociolinguistic competence is knowing how to use and respond to language appropriately, given the setting, the topic, and the relationships among the people communicating. Sociolinguistic competence asks: 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?

Discourse competence is knowing how to interpret the larger context and how to construct longer stretches of language so that the parts make up a coherent whole. Discourse competence asks: How are words, phrases and sentences put together to create conversations, speeches, email messages, newspaper articles?

Strategic competence is knowing how to recognize and repair communication breakdowns, how to work around gaps in one’s knowledge of the language, and how to learn more about the language. Strategic competence asks: How do I know when I’ve misunderstood or when someone has misunderstood me? What do I say then? How can I express my ideas if I don’t know the name of something or the right verb form to use?

Questions and topics for discussion

1. What is communication? Distinguish between different types of communication.

2. Illustrate with examples four competence areas: linguistic, sociolinguistic, discourse, strategic.

3. “Not all oral exercises mean speaking”. Comment upon this statement.

4. Analyze any lesson and show how the teacher can develop students’ communicative competence.

Дата добавления: 2014-01-07