Glossary of Grammar and Rhetorical Terms

The term communicative competence refers to both the tacit knowledge of a language and the
ability to use it effectively. Also called communication competence.

The concept of communicative competence (a term coined by the linguist Dell Hymes in 1972) has
survived resistance to the concept of linguistic competence introduced by Noam Chomsky (1965).
Most academics now see linguistic competence as part of communicative competence. Examples
and Observations

“Why have so many scholars from so many fields explored communicative competence in so many
relational, institutional, and cultural contexts? Our hunch is that scholars, as well as most
contemporary Western societies in which they live and work, accept the following implied beliefs: (a)
not all that can be said and done is equally competent in this situation, (b) personal and professional
relationships are a minor part of communicative competence. and (c) most people are deficient in at
least a few cases, and fewer in most cases. "

> Steven Wilson and Christina Sabee, 2003, Gert Rickheit et al. "Communication Competence
Concept" Communication Competence Handbook, ed. by G. Rickheit and H. Strohner. Walter de
Gruyter, 2010.

“The most important development in TESOL was the emphasis on a communicative approach to
language teaching (Coste, 1976; Roulet, 1972; Widdowson, 1978). The one thing everyone is sure of
is the necessity of using language for communication. Therefore, the concern for teaching linguistic
competence has expanded to include communicative competence, the socially appropriate use of
language, and methods reflect this shift from form to function. "

> Christina Bratt Paulston, "Introduction: Teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language."
Language and Communication Competence . Multilingual Topics, 1992.