Communicative Competence

[Lily Hazelton]

In the chapter on communicative competence, I found the section on Functional Approaches to Language Teaching to be very interesting because of the seven function laid out as belonging in an advanced-beginner's language learning textbook. These seven functions are important to master in order to be culturally competent, but as we talked about, there are many other aspects that play into communicative and cultural competence, as well. I believe that person who understands these seven factors, and how they can change in various situations is competent. I also believe, that competence implies minor flaws, and that understanding, implementing, and accomplishing, are very different aspects. A person is likely to commit faux pas in their own culture, so it would be even harder to avoid committing one in another culture. A person can understand the rules and norms of a culture and a language, but implementing may even be able to implement them, but accomplishing that in perfection in very hard. the difference etween understanding and implementing what will make one communicatively and culturally competent, is understanding the difference between the mentality and physicality of an action. It is one thing to know what to do or say, and another thing to actually say or do it.