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DIDAKTIKA AN II. - poznámky (didaktika_anglickeho_jazyka_ii-poznamky.doc)

DIDAKTIKA ANGLICKÉHO JAZYKA II.

 

 

THEMATIC PLANES

 

 

 

 

 

SITUATIONS

 

 

 

 

ACTIVITIES

TASKS

weather conditions in different parts of the world

weather now and yesterday

what should they wear

 

WEATHER

 

equipment umbrella, raincoat

mood - feelings in different weather types

weather for various professions

describing weather pictures

weather

conditions

clothing for different weather conditions

write a postcard from holiday

 

discussion

freetime activities according to weather

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Curriculum
  2. Textbook
  3. Materials
  4. Brainstorming
  5. Theme
  6. Situations
  7. Cross curriculum with other subjects - topics
  8. Activities / tasks

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

 

ANIMALS        -         physical education

  1. science
  2. geography
  3. biology
  4. arts
  5. mathematics
  6. music and fine arts - language arts + drawing, music
  7. social studies
  8. culture - animal saints, importance

 

 

CLIC        - content and language integrated learning

        - how to integrate languages into other subjects

        - content based teaching        - you base the attention more to the subject, not to the language

                                        - partially bilingual

                                        - integrate the language in teaching the concrete content

                                        - the methods here will be different

 

 

ECLM - materials, web page with information

 

 

 

Features of ELT:

 

  1. The main focus in a language class should be on the meaning
  2. Language learners learn best by using plenty of analysis
  3. It is better to think directly in the second language
  4. Language learners need long-term rewards
  5. Intristic motivation
  6. Gentle and empathetic
  7. Give individual attention
  8. Meaningful learning
  9. Be culturally neutral
  10. Frequently
  11. Useful and productive
  12. Fluency

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Didactics

  1. it has Greek origin – DIDÁSKEIN – which means to teach, the role of teaching
  2. Comenius used Didactica magnae
  3. it is the theory of teaching
  4. in a wider sense, it is the theory and practical application of teaching and learning
  5. in classroom it is connected with the social system
  6. teaching → our formal system

 

Didactics of English Teaching Lessons

  1. in England is didactics called Applied Linguistics (was introduced by Widowson in England)
  2. it is about the methods of teaching – how to teach
  3. general education – theory, teaching of language, specific with English language
  4. general didactics – didactics of English language
  5. the object is to apply English knowledge

 

From Longman Dictionary:

Applied Language Methodology or Didactics is the study of the practices,

and procedures used in teaching and the principles and beliefs that underline them.

Such practices, procedures, principles, and beliefs themselves.

One can, for example, criticise or praise the methodology of a particular language course.

 

Methodology of English language teaching and learning

– it is connected with the word HOW (it is Methodic in Russia)

– it is the methodics of English language

– how to teach

it includes:

  1. study of the nature of language skills –reading, writing, speaking, listening and procedures for teaching them
  2. study of the preparation of study materials, lesson plans, materials, and textbooks for teaching language skills
  3. the evaluation and comparison of language teaching methods (e.g. the audio-lingual method)
  4. such practices, procedures and beliefs themselves – classroom techniques, behaviours

 

Syllabus design         

– to describe WHAT, WHY & WHEN is learned

– it is a selection of themes, topics, linguistic & experimental context

– in Methodology it is the selection & sequencing of learning tasks

– it is the grading of linguistic and experimental content

 

The object of the study of didactics

It is necessary to consider a lot of factors and conditions which might have an impact on the teaching/learning process.

 

There are some important factors:

  1. Language – WHAT do you teach; what is communication; what is language (English)
  2. Method – HOW to do that
  3. People – WHO are the LEARNERS & TEACHERS, where are they coming from
  4. Time – WHEN – AGE – when does the second language take place
  5. Environment         – WHERE do you teach – school, institutions

        – the social, political & cultural context

  1. Reasons – WHY – the motivation why to learn the second language, the reasons

 

There exist also subjective and objective factors:

        a) subjective factors - the persons of teachers and learners

        b) objective factors - the matters of teaching

 

 

  1. THE SUBJECTIVE FACTORS

 

The learner

Who is s/he? How old is s/he? What is his/her native language? What is his/her education?

What is his/her socio-economic level? What are his/her intellectual capabilities?                                  What kinds of cognitive strategies and styles does the learner use?                                                  What are his/her previous experiences in foreign language learning?                                          

Why does she/he want to study English? What sort of personality does she/he have?

 

The teacher

  1. knowledge of the language
  2. pedagogical skills
  3. social intelligence
  4. communication skills
  5. technical skills

What is his/her educational background? What sort of personality does she/he have?              

What is his/her socio-economic level? What is his/her mastery of English?                                  

What is his/her theoretical level? What are his/her interests?

 

 

 

 

 

  1. THE OBJECTIVE FACTORS

 

The objectives

  1. different according to school
  2. pre-school education (feeling of the language, positive attitude, prepare for future learning)
  3. adult education (to achieve certain lever, to communicate, to achieve grades)

Do they correspond to actual needs? Which objectives are regarded as most important?                Are they realistic? Are they precisely defined and specified?

 

The content

  1. what we teach, how it is graded

What is its structure? What is its quantity? What is its appropriateness to the age of the learner?

How is it modelled in the syllabus? How is it shaped in the textbook?

 

The method

  1. Callan method
  2. linguistics programming
  3. chosen with accordance to objectives

What is its theoretical background? How is the method related to the (how we teach) content?

Does it correspond to given objectives? Does it correspond to the age of the learner?                           Is it interesting?

 

Conditions

  1. number of students (optimal 15)
  2. equipment
  3. policy of government EU language policy
  4. documents that show the language policy European Framework  
  5. levels of English are compared A1 – C2

What is the government’s policy in relation to foreign languages?

How big or small is the language classroom? How many students are there in one classroom?

What sort of equipment does the school have and use?

What is the general attitude to foreign languages in different types of schools?

How many hours are allocated for the study of a foreign language?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPROACH, METHOD, TECHNIQUE

 

  1. methods differ in the use of first and second language and in the use of implicit and explicit grammar
  2. 19th and 20th century - there appeared many new methods of teaching, chronological appearance
  3. one approach can be realised through different methods
  4. other criteria - humanism, learning personality
  5. they
  6. are much more subdivided in different books

 

Methods divided according to:

  1. role of mother tongue
  2. role of learner
  3. role of teacher
  4. how they deal with grammar

 

Techniques:

  1. warm up at the beginning
  2. role play
  3. drama
  4. brainstorming
  5. dictation

 

Edward Anthony:

Approach = set of assumptions dealing with the nature of language, learning and teaching

Method = an overall plan for systematic presentation of language based upon a selected approach

Techniques = the specific activities manifested in the classroom that are consistent with a method and therefore in harmony with an approach as well

 

Theodor Rogers, Jack Richards proposed a reformation of the concept of method:

Method = their method is more referred to “methodology“

            = a generalized set of classroom specifications for accomplishing linguistic objectives.

The subordinate themes are: approach, design, procedures

 

Elements and sub-elements of method – Richards and Rogers:

 

approach

design

procedure

  1. theory of native language    
  1. a theory of the nature

     of language learning              

  1. the general and the specific objectives        
  2. syllabus                            
  3. types of learning and teaching activities          
  4. learner’s role
  5. teacher’s role
  6. the role of instrumental
  7. materials
  1. classroom

- techniques

     - procedures

     - behaviours

     observed when

     the method is used

 

Methodology = the study of pedagogical practices in general (how to teach)

Syllabus = design for carrying out a particular language program

ROGERS        - the design is important

                - it was overloading because everything was under the term method

                - the method is like an umbrella term  

 

REPKA        - general strategy

                - set of beliefs

                - methods consists of planning stages and the realisation in the classroom

→ the character is dynamic

 

 

There are 2 aspects of approaches:

 

  1. linguistic
  2. psycholinguistic

 

 

THEORY OF LANGUAGE - LINGUISTIC ASPECTS OF APPROACHES (how language is viewed in some approaches)  

 

  1. language is a system of structurally relating elements → structuralism
  2. language is a vehicle for expression of functional meaning → functional grammar
  3. language is a vehicle for realisation of interpersonal relations and fore the performance of social transactions between individuals → interactional view

 

 

 

        2 basic situations - interpersonal communication

                                     - transactional situations - not predictable

        (concrete situations like selling goods)

 

THEORY OF LANGUAGE LEARNING

 

  1. process oriented theories
  2. condition oriented theories

 

→ Audio-lingual method - it is a traditional method

 

Approaches can be divided in 2 groups in the history of English teaching:

 

 linguistic

 

 

Approaches

psycholinguisitc

 

 

 

 

Linguistic features of approaches:

 

Approaches - important is the theory of leaning, how the language is viewed.

These are the 3 views:

 

  1. structural - language is a system of structural related elements

 

  1. functional - language is a vehicle for expression of functional meaning (Prague School)

 

  1. interactional - it takes in act interpersonal relations and social transmission between persons

 

 

 

 

History of these 3 views:

 

1) STRUCTURE

 

  1. in language learning structures were emphasized, formal analysis of structure
  2. here there are the traditional methods (GTM, ALM)
  3. here the drills of concrete language structures were important
  4. the automatic through the memorizing was emphasized  
  5. it was criticized in the history
  6. Prague School - here we already speak about the functional grammar

 

  1. grammar translation method

 

  1. memorize, rules how to do it
  2. grammar structures were emphasized

 

  1. audio-lingual method

 

  1. language teaching - syllabus organized teaching
  2. now textbooks are organized by curriculum (main objectives)
  3. today - language for means of communications (in all syllabuses, in all levels)
  4. from easy to difficult themes
  5. most of the textbooks are organized today according to topics, themes, function of language
  6. grammar is no the main objective today, but to be able to communicate

   

Communications - there are several subcompetences:

 

  1. language means skills
  2. linguistic skills (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation)
  3. communication skills (writing, reading)
  4. strategy of communication (how to express yourself, how to describe when you don’t  know the word, how to start conversation, how to interrupt somebody)
  5. socio-linguistic communication (what type of language are you going to use in which situation)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) CHOMSKY - COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE

 

  1. a new period, new views
  2. the language as a form of behaviour
  3. the cognitivists said, that you can say even things, that you have not heard in your life
  4. cognitivists - transformation
  5. stucturalists - the inborn structures are important

        - language acquisition device - the slip form habits to the mental structural system

  1. theory of generating and transforming knowledge
  2. cognitive code learning
  3. cognitive strategies in learning

 

 

 

3) SOCIO-COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE

 

  1. how we teach today
  2. the language has to be appropriate to the situation
  3. the addressee is important
  4. the emphasis is on the student - his needs, opinions, feeling, abilities
  5. the language is no more just in the head of one man like in the cognitive perspective
  6. language is here a socially constructed phenomenon
  7. discourse and competence are important
  8. differences in the written and in the oral form
  9. strategic subcompetences are important for the communication
  10. the main objective is to deliver an information
  11. in the traditional grammar method the main objective was to formulate the words correct (rules)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BERLITZ METHOD = DIRECT METHOD

 

→ origins in the direct method - the Calan Method

 

  1. never translate demonstrate
  2. never explain act
  3. never make a speech ask questions
  4. never imitate mistakes correct
  5. never speak with single words use sentences
  6. never speak too much make students peak much
  7. never use the book use your own lesson plan
  8. never go too fast keep the pace of the students
  9. never speak too slowly speak normally
  10. never speak too quickly speak naturally
  11. never speak too loudly speak naturally
  12. never be impatient take it easy

 

 

  1. inductively learn the grammar by the students
  2. instructions: target language, just English
  3. everyday vocabulary are taught
  4. oral communication is carefully graded
  5. organised system, structured system
  6. you have to plan
  7. most new things are introduced orally
  8. demonstrational object, pictures - visualise
  9. abstract notions and vocabulary by association of ideas
  10. speech, answer, questions were emphasized
  11. correct pronunciation and grammar were emphasized
  12. correct the mistakes immediately

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUGGESTOPAEDIA = HUMANISTIC APPROACHES (METHODS)

 

  1. the main is to create a friendly, open atmosphere
  2. typical is a comfortable atmosphere
  3. classical, calm music
  4. the rhythm of the music should be similar to heart beat
  5. conscious / unconscious meaning → that you learn and don’t know it
  6. the founder was Losanof from Bulgaria he was a psychologist
  7. you need a comfortable environment
  8. pillows, comfortable sitting, posters and pictures on the walls
  9. learning in the alpha-level, relaxed feelings
  10. made use of subconscious learning
  11. the objective is to create a communicative competence

 

The techniques are:

  1. playing with the ball
  2. second identity
  3. it should get learners to get a rid of fear and stress (not me, but someone else)
  4. also for adults
  5. visualisation, role pays

 

 

TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE = COMPREHENSION APPROACH

 

  1. coordination of speech and action
  2. developed by Usher James
  3. the main is to lower stress and fear when learning new language
  4. teacher is the director, he will observe the actions of the students
  5. the teacher should be tolerant of errors
  6. the students perform actions
  7. it is important that learners feel successful
  8. this method has a silent phase - first is the listening
  9. it is good for teaching children
  10. in the 1. stage students obey comments from the teacher and do easy actions (sit down)
  11. in the 2. stage students start give commands to themselves

 

The techniques are:

  1. role reversion
  2. action sequence
  3. the Simon Says play (maybe as a competition)
  4. physical activities
  5. a command can be: If you have end your work, put it down on my desk

THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER AND THE ROLE OF THE LEARNER

IN COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING

Roles of the TEACHER IN CLT:

  1. CONTROLLER -the teacher is the dominant person in the class, constantly monitoring students´ performance, this role was extremely popular in the era of Grammar translation method
  2. ASSESSOR - the major function is to assess students´ work and this assessment may happen on 2 levels: correction of errors + organization of feedback
  3. ORGANIZER - he should be at students´ disposal whenever they are involved in group work, information activities
  4. PROMPTER - the teacher gives students suggestions about the way they should proceed to the next activity in order to avoid silence
  5. PARTICIPANT - the teacher is a participator in whole class discussions in any activity
  6. RESOURCE - this role is usually adopted when essays are written, projects o students
  7. MANAGER - organizer
  8. INVESTIGATOR - the teacher should constantly work on himself, be familiar with the latest trends

 

Principles of the work of the teacher:

  1. PRINCIPLE 1: Teaching communicative skills is the primary concern of the teacher. They should be developed from the very beginning. Essential is that each communicative skill consists of a set of microskills.
  2. PRINCIPLE 2: The teaching of language forms (language means) is subservient to the development of communicative skills. Language devices (pronunciation, grammar, semantics) can not be the goals of the teaching/learning process. They are the means to an end, and the end is of course communicative behavior. I states the place and function of individual language means in relation to the development of communicative competence, they only contribute to on sub-competence = linguistic.
  3. PRINCIPLE 3: Communicative skills are developed and language means are taught in relation to particular situations = situational principle.
  4. PRINCIPLE 4: The teacher should select and use different kinds of discourse / genres / registers to develop communicative skills and teach language means.
  5. PRINCIPLE 5: The teacher should create conditions for authentic communication and interaction in the language classroom = authentic principle.
  6. PRINCIPLE 6: The teacher corrects first of all those linguistic errors which cause failure in the process of communication.

 

 

The role of the LEARNER IN CLT:

  1. the learner has an active role to play, he is a negotiator and interactor, giving as well as taking
  2. learners are no longer passive recipients of knowledge they are viewed as active participants who are involved in various stage or teaching and learning
  3. the learners develop their ability to play an active and self-directive role in their language study
  4. information by and from learners is used in planning, implementing and evaluating language programmes. While the learner-centred curriculum will contain similar elements and processes to traditional curricula, a key difference will be that information by and from learners will be built into every phase of the curriculum process. Curriculum development becomes a collaborative effort between teachers and learners, since learners will be involved in decisions on content selection, methodology and evaluation
  5. the Message model was modified in the Inferential model which indicates that when learning to communicate in a language, the learner also acquire a variety of shared beliefs or presumptions, as well as a system of inferential strategies
  6. concerns 4 presumptions:
  1. linguistic presumption (the hearer is presumed capable of determining the meaning and the referents of the expression in the content of utterance)
  2. communicative presumption (the speaker is assumed to have some identifiable communicative intent)
  3. presumption of literalness (the speaker is supposed to speak literally)
  4. conversational presumption (Grice’s conversational maxims – relevance, sincerity, truthfulness, quantity, quality)
  1. the learner should pay attention to the development of all the communicative skills and the microskills which are embedded in them (microskills in listening and speaking)
  2. learning should be seen as an "individual act" learners should have a share in the responsibility for their own learning: The act of learning something must always be a personal, individual act. No-one can learn the meaning of a word for me, though, of course, others can help me towards that end
  3. the learners are required to carry out a great majority of the learning tasks on their own and outside class: they are responsible for finding the relevant materials for their research topic, reading it in detail and taking notes from it, conducting interviews and questionnaires to collect data, synthesising it from various sources and presenting the findings of their research in the form of a written project, following the academic conventions of writing
  4. the learner can communicate effectively in the given environment
  5. the learner is aware of  his/her learning skills: setting goals for oneself, ability to evaluate one’s learning outcomes
  6. the learner can control his/her own self-motivation
  7. the learner is capable of working within a timetable without timetables
  8. the learner is able to work alone and in a group

E-learning

Electronic learning or e-Learning is a general term used to refer to a form of learning in which the instructor and student are separated by space or time where the gap between the two is bridged through the use of online technologies. eLearning is a catch-all term that covers a wide range of instructional material that can be delivered on a CD-ROM or DVD, over a local area network (LAN), or on the Internet. It includes Computer-Based Training (CBT), Web-Based Training (WBT), Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS), distance or online learning and online tutorials. The major advantage to students is its easy access. There are some typical elements and a standard approach to developing or authoring eLearning material. eLearning provides the student or learner with information that can be accessed in a setting free from time and place constraints. The student can go through the lessons at his or her own pace.

Typical elements of eLearning materials come from good instructional design and are similar to what is used              in training and educational classes:

  1. Introduction or overview
  2. Information presentation
  3. Practice items with customized, instructive feedback
  4. Assessment
  5. Evaluation feedback

E-learning is used interchangeably in so many contexts. In companies it is referred to the strategies that use the company network to deliver training courses to employees. In distance education Universities like Open University in UK or Penn State World Campus in the USA, it is defined as a planned teaching/learning experience that uses a wide spectrum of technologies mainly Internet to reach learners at a distance. Lately in most Universities, e-learning is used to define a specific mode to attend a course or programmes of study where the students rarely, if ever, attend face-to-face or for on-campus access to educational facilities, because they study on-line. In many respects, it is commonly associated with the field of advanced learning technology (ALT), which deals with both the technologies and associated methodologies in learning using networked and/or multimedia technologies.

Computer-based training (CBT) services are where a student learns by executing special training programs on a computer relating to their occupation. CBT is especially effective for training people to use computer applications because the CBT program can be integrated with the applications so that students can practice using the application as they learn. Historically, CBTs growth has been hampered by the enormous resources required: human resources to create a CBT program, and hardware resources needed to run it. However, the increase in PC computing power, and especially the growing prevalence of computers equipped with CD-ROMs, is making CBT a more viable option for corporations and individuals alike. Many PC applications now come with some modest form of CBT, often called a tutorial. Web-based training (WBT) is a type of training that is similar to CBT; however, it is delivered over the Internet using a web browser. Web-based training frequently includes interactive methods, such as bulletin boards, chat rooms, instant messaging, videoconferencing, and discussion threads. Web based training is usually a self-paced learning medium though some systems allow for online testing and evaluation at specific times.

Webquest

A WebQuest is a learning activity used by educators. During this activity learners read, analyze, and synthesize information using the World Wide Web.

When completing a WebQuest, learners actively build their own critical understanding of a topic. During this activity, questions or problems are often researched, and learners may work cooperatively to find solutions.

Instructors may alter the rigor of the activity by challenging students according to varying levels of abstraction. Questions can be defined by Taxonomy of Educational Objectives.

The relevance of the instructional materials is an important factor, because it can provide increased motivation. Relevance may be provided by using news resources to infuse current events into the lesson.

A WebQuest includes:

Introduction 

- An engaging first statement that draws the reader in while setting the stage for the WebQuest. Includes the guiding or central question around which the WebQuest revolves

Task 

- A description of the end result of the students' work; the culminating performance or product that drives all the activities of the lesson

Process 

- Describes step by step how the learners will accomplish the task. Includes online (and offline) resources, role descriptions (if any), and guidance on individual steps in the process

Evaluation 

- A rubric or other means to evaluate the final task. It may include rubrics or tests to measure competencies or accomplishment of interim skills

Conclusion 

- Final statement that may include reflections on the lesson or extensions of the content for further exploration

Learners typically complete WebQuests as cooperative groups. Each learner within a group can be given a "role," or specific area to research. WebQuests may take the form of role-playing scenarios, where students take on the personas of professional researchers or historical figures.

WebQuests, are a great tool for teachers to use in their classroom. A teacher can search for WebQuests on a particular topic or they can develop their own using a web editor like Microsoft FrontPage or Dreamweaver. This tool allows learners to complete various task using other Cognitive tools (e.g. Inspiration, MS Word, PowerPoint, Access, Excel, and Publisher). A WebQuest is a great way to integrate technology into your classroom. WebQuests do not have to be developed as a true web site. They may be developed and implemented using lower threshold (less demanding) technologies, (e.g. they may be saved as a word document on a local computer).

 

Communicative competence

Communicative competence is a linguistic term which refers to a second language learner's ability. It not only refers to a learner's ability to apply and use grammatical rules, but also to form correct utterances, and know how to use these utterances appropriately.

Communicative competence is a latter capacity to master the rules of sentence formation and being successful in use the language for meaningful communication. It includes knowing how to use language for different purposes and functions; vary the usage of language according to setting and participants; produce different types of texts and maintain communication despite having limitations in language knowledge.

Noam Chomsky distinguishes competence, the knowledge that native speakers have of their language as a system of abstract formal reactions and performance, their actual behavior. Performance is particular, variable, and dependent on circumstances. It may offer evidence of competence, but it is circumstantial evidence and not to be relied on. What we know cannot be equated with what we do. Performance, then, becomes particular instances of behavior which result from the exercise of ability and are not simply the reflexes of knowledge.

The term “communicative competence” was coined by Dell Hymes in 1966, reacting against the perceived inadequacy of Noam Chomsky's distinction between competence and performance. Chomsky's view of linguistic competence, however, was not intended to inform pedagogy, but serve as part of developing a theory of the linguistic system itself, idealized as the abstract language knowledge of the monolingual adult native speaker, and distinct from how they happen to use and experience language. Hymes, rather than Chomsky, had developed a theory of education and learning.

Canale and Swain (1980) defined communicative competence in terms of four components:

  1. linguistic competence: words and rules
  2. sociolinguistic competence: appropriateness
  3. discourse competence: cohesion and coherence
  4. strategic competence: appropriate use of communication strategies

Through the influence of communicative language teaching, it has become widely accepted that communicative competence should be the goal of language education, central to good classroom practice. This is in contrast to previous views in which grammatical competence was commonly given top priority. The understanding of communicative competence has been influenced by the field of pragmatics and the philosophy of language concerning speech acts as described in large part by John Searle and J.L. Austin. Language teaching in the United States 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. The desired outcome of the language learning process is the ability to communicate competently, not the ability to use the language exactly as a native speaker does.

 

Communicative competence is made up of four competence areas:

linguistic

sociolinguistic

discourse

strategic

  1. 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?
  1. 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?
  1. Discourse competence is: knowing how to interpret a series of sentences and utterances in order to perform a meaningful whole and to achieve coherent texts that are relevant to a given context. Discourse competence asks: How are words, phrases and sentences put together to create conversations, speeches, email messages, newspaper articles?
  1. 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 and in the context. 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?

In the early stages of language learning, instructors and students may want to keep in mind the goal of communicative efficiency: That learners should be able to make themselves understood, using their current proficiency to the fullest. They should try to avoid confusion in the message (due to faulty pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary); to avoid offending communication partners (due to socially inappropriate style); and to use strategies for recognizing and managing communication breakdowns.