Communicative Competence In Language Teaching

Communicative Competence In Language Teaching In this essay, I will first define what Communicative Competence is and what it includes. Secondly, making reference to the European Common Framework of Reference for Languages, I will synthesize why gaining Communicative Competence in a foreign language is so important and why it should be the main goal in an English Classroom. To finish with, I will summarize the best ways of teaching Communicative Competence. Task-based language teaching will be the model I will use as an example of how Communicative competence should be taught and the role instruction should pay in the Classroom. Communicative Competence refers to the ability of understanding, producing, and interpreting the different Communicative events taking into account not only their explicit sense (what it seems to be more immediate for us), but also its implications; that is to say, what the speaker wants to say, what the listener wants to understand, their relationship, the social context, etc. Therefore, Communicative Competence has to do with the social, cultural, and psychological rules that determine the use of a particular language in a particular situation. This term was introduced by Hymes in language teaching in 1972, to complete Chomskys Linguistic Competence term which couldnt explain all the factors which are important for a communicative purpose or in a communicative situation. According to him, Linguistic Competence only deals with the knowledge of language rules and forms, and Communicative Competence includes as well the knowledge that allows someone to communicate correctly and appropriately. Therefore, Communicative Competence is the only means we use to transform language into Communication instead of Linguistic Competence. According to the European Common Framework of Reference for Languages Communicative Competence is divided in: Linguistic Competence: it refers to the ability of producing utterances in an efficient way in all its grammatical levels. It is formed by these competences: lexical, grammatical, semantic, phonologic and orthographic competence. Sociolinguistic Competence: it is the ability of understanding and producing different utterances in different contexts of use where different factors play an important role, such as the relationship between participants, their situation, etc. Aspects to take into account here are social relationships markers, politeness norms, popular wisdom expressions, register differences, dialect and accent differences, etc. Pragmatic Competence: It makes reference to the ability of acting efficiently in a language taking into account grammatical forms and meaning to complete a text (spoken or written) in different communicative events. It includes students mastery of texts, discursive genres, and community speech interpretation. To master this, there are needed rhetorical, cohesive or cohesion devices for conversational organization. Strategic Competence: it has to do with the individuals effective use of language by means of his capacity for using verbal and non-verbal resources to fix errors that can be produced when communicating due to different events that may limit the communicative process. Communicative competence is the first of the eight basic competences that a learner has to have acquired by the end of ESO, but not only this, it is in the same way important to have acquired as well a B1 level of Communicative Competence in a Foreign Language to be admitted in University as the European Common Framework of Reference for Languages dictates. COMMUNICATIVE COMPTENCE IN TEACHING Teachers in ESO should develop in students communicative abilities and strategies in order to reach a B1 level in Communicative Competence by the end of this period, this competence should be acquired in all areas: speaking, reading, listening, and writing. Therefore, this has to be the main goal in the English Classroom. In order to analyze how Communicative Competence is implemented in school, Ive chosen the task-based method, which is a continuation of Communicative Language Teaching according to Rod Ellis. Task-based language teaching is a teaching method based on tasks whose main purpose is to make learners use the foreign language. Tasks are based on authentic events where authentic language is used: visiting a doctor, shopping, calling room service for food, etc. Assessment of errors is not considered as important as in other approaches because accuracy will be gained while practicing the L2 in an incidental way. Besides, Rod Ellis defends that what students really acquire is the implicit knowledge, and this is best facilitated looking at the language as a whole rather than breaking it into pieces in an attempt to teach item by item. Tasks differ from activities in that they focus on meaning rather than on form, in this sense, learners will be creating their own language instead of reproducing the language given to them. They also have an informational or reasoning gap which will make the conversation interesting and therefore it will make them eager to continue it even outside class. Learners also use their resources instead of reproducing the language given to them. The goal of tasks is not to make learners use a correct language, but to engage them in communication. WHAT ROLE PLAYS INSTRUCTION IN A TASK-BASED LEARNING CONTEXT? Instruction plays a different role in Task-Based Teaching: Instruction is seen in an interpretative rather than in a transmission perspective, so its main goal must be to facilitate students processes of learning, which in this case is the acquisition of implicit knowledge. The goal of language instruction is the development of implicit knowledge. If teachers make their students to focus mainly on language form they wont never be able to communicate effectively. The only place where learning occurs is inside learners minds, so teachers cannot just direct that learning. Therefore attention to form will be paid only when communicating, and not all the time, because excessive corrections may stop the conversations rhythm. That doesnt mean that Task-Based theorists dont care about grammar, they defend explicit teaching of rules as well, but only when necessary because the main goal is communication. Instruction has to focus on meaning rather than on form. Rod Ellis thinks that grammar is not needed for basic communication. Basic survival in language relies on vocabulary and formulaic sequences, not on grammar. Students will need grammar as they get involved in increasingly complex tasks, that is to say, the need to use a determinate grammatical form will be created in their minds as complexity increases in tasks. Instruction needs to be motivating, i.e. based on things that learners may find interesting, because its very important to call their attention in order to get them involved in the task. To conclude, I will sum up some characteristics a classroom should have to teach Communicative Competence: Inductive method. Preventing method rather than corrective. Teach sequences of language, not language in isolation. Teach through senses. Promote autonomy. Give your lesson an authentic and ludic character to make it interesting. Set learning goals taking into account the developmental cognitive level of the learner.

When Harry Met Sally Essay -- essays papers

When Harry Met Sally The film I chose to view for this Romantic Comedy paper was When Harry met Sally. I enjoyed this movie. The two main characters were Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally Allbright (Meg Ryan). When first introduced to these characters, Sally is driving to New York, and Harry, who is the boyfriend of Sally's friend, is catching a ride with her. Sally is a very structured person. To quote Harry, she is a "high maintenance" women. Harry, on the other hand, has a more laid back attitude. This causes some tension between them on the long drive to New York. This fits well into the romantic comedy genre. In a romantic comedy there is usually tension between the two charcters in the beginning. Part of this pattern is for them to soften toward one another and by the end they fall in love. On the way to New York, Harry tells Sally some things about men she doesn't know and is reluctant to believe. One thing he tells her is "men and women can't be friends because sex gets in the way." This only increases the tension between them. By the time they reach New York, Sally doesn't appear too happy with him. She seems angry with him, but anger is sometimes used to cover other feeling. This is also a classic feeling in the genre. A gap of several years passes before they see each other again. They see each other at the airport, but they both pretend not to know the other. The next time they meet is a couple of years after they saw each other at the airpo...

Orion Systems Jaguar

What recommendations would you make to Rosas about organizing the Jaguar project, and why? Ans: Looking at the major assessment of problem of how ORION projects are manage, it will be plausible for Rosas to shift from the matrix structure and engage in a dedicated project teams structure. The reason been that is, dedicated project teams has a simple form of approach to a particular project where the functional organisation remain intact with the project team operating independently.It is also fast, meaning projects tend to get done more quickly rather than the matrix structure where you can be assigning multiple roles. It is very cohesive and this result in a high level of motivation which allows participants to share a common goal and take responsibility toward the project whiles the matrix structure there will be lack of strong project ownership.There is also cross-functional integration which allows specialists from different areas work closely together and, with proper guidance b ecome more committed to optimizing the project but not their respective areas of skill and this becomes the solution for the scope creep ORION has been encountering in terms of delays and design modifications that were inconsistent with customer requirements which was cause by the tendency for design engineers to get to absorb with the science of the project that they lost focus on practical considerations.ORION major problems of how project are manage; Higher than expected cost, Quality concerns, Problem with customer support, lack of strong project ownership and Scope creep 2) How would you change the organisational chart and master plan to reflect these changes? My chart ORION Organisational chart. Project manager Mechanics System engineer Electronics System engineer Deputy planning and control management Team Leader Team Leader Team Leader Team LeaderProject manager Team Leader Deputy planning and control management Electronics System engineer Mechanics System engineer Tradition al functional departments In organising projects as dedicated teams, the project manager becomes the team manager and work together with the rest of the team supported by the traditional functional department’s whiles in the matrix structure used by ORION each team have a different team leader. Master Plan Training Training programDocumentation and and test equipment SDR/PDR/CDR/TRR/PRR Build Production line Environment tests Laboratory tests and delivery Production Activities/time 6-12Months 1-6Months Design reviews Design and Development Production and Delivery ILS Lockheed martin justify that using a dedicated project teams structure facilitate a quick completion of a project.Now, if Lockheed martin uses 43days to complete an American fighter jet then I don’t see the reason why ORION will spend over 7years to make light-rail trains by using the matrix structure. Therefore, by using the dedicated project teams the process of tests, production and delivery can take le ss than the usual years ORION use to complete a particular project. So by using the dedicated project teams, I change the years on ORION master plan to months to reflect how fast it is to use the dedicated project teams rather than the matrix structure.

Pee Christmas Carol - 636 Words

Point | Evidence | Explanation | All Scrooge cares about is his money. | ‘What’s Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer, a time for balancing your books.’ | This suggests that Scrooge believes that the economy is the main focus of Christmas, that nothing else should matter to an individual apart from the state of his finances. | Scrooge thinks people that like Christmas are insane. | ‘There’s another fellow, my clerk, with fifteen shillings a week, and a wife and a family, talking about a merry Christmas. I’ll retire to Bedlam’ | This demonstrates that Scrooge can’t understand how someone can have positive emotions and be in control of their†¦show more content†¦round to make sure no one disapproved.’ (p.39) |