DEVELOPING COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE

Lic. Jean Garay

ELT consultant

ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE

Some Definitions

WHAT IS COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE?

“It is a person’s awareness of the rules governing the appropriate use of language in social situations”.(David Crystal)

“… the knowledge of rules for the conduct and interpretation of speech…” (Hymes)

INFORMATION GAP

One person has information that the other person does not have but needs.

The information can be from:

A visual source: a picture An audio Source: a tape A reading passage

Some Information Gap Activities

Problem Solving Activities: “Find the difference”, “Arrange a meeting”.

Guessing Games: “Teapot” (action), “Personalities” (famous person), etc.

ROLE PLAY

Members of the group pretend they are different people.

They act their roles, play their parts and speak according to which role they are playing.

SIMULATION ACTIVITIES Participants take part in simulated

situations as themselves. Examples:

Giving directions to each other’s homes as if they were going to visit each other.

Students are asked to agree on what seven articles they would choose to have with them if they were shipwrecked on a desert island, and finally to arrange the articles in order of importance

jigsaws

Highly interactive activities that require learners to pool their information to complete a task.

Example: Jigsaw reading activities

Conversation grid activities Work well for beginning-level learners

Provide learners with an opportunity to practice gathering and giving the same information over and over again, thus helping to build automaticity.

Also provide learners with a chance to negotiate meaning

Example: To review asking and answering personal identification questions, learners speak to classmates, gather information and complete a table such as the one below:

FIRSTNAME

LAST NAME

AGE OCCUPATION

DISCUSSIONS An obvious way to promote interactions. Can be about almost anything, from

cultural issues, education, learning English, to current events and “hot” topics.

They require preparation and thought. The purpose of the discussion should be

made very clear to the learners. The benefits of small-group discussions on

language development should also be made clear to them.

discussions

They are an opportunity to practice listening for main ideas and details, build vocabulary, use English to explain and elaborate, and use strategies to keep the conversationfrom breaking down.

They are helpful to set time limits, assign roles and responsibilities, and debrief with the whole group after the discussion.

games Help and encourage many learners to

sustain their interest and work.

Help the teacher to create contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful.

Can provide intense and meaningful practice of language.

Must be regarded as central to a teacher’s repertoire.

HOW TO CHOOSE GAMES A game must be more than just fun. A game should involve “friendly”

competition. A game should keep all of the students

involved and interested. A game should encourage students to

focus on the use of language rather than on the language itself.

A game should give students a chance to learn, practice or review specific language material.

GENERAL BENEFITS OF GAMES

AFFECTIVE

Lowers affective filter Encourages creative and spontaneous

use of language Promotes communicative competence Motivates fun

GENERAL BENEFITS OF GAMES

COGNITIVE Reinforces Reviews and extends Focuses on grammar communicatively

CLASS DYNAMICS Student centered Teacher acts only as facilitator Builds class cohesion Fosters whole class participation Promotes healthy competition

GENERAL BENEFITS OF GAMES

ADAPTABILITY

Easily adjusted for age, level, and interests.

Utilizes all four skills Requires minimum preparation after

development.