COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE - THE GOALS BEYOND PURELY LANGUAGE LEARNING

Abstract

The teaching and learning of English have experienced many ups and downs. Each approach reveals some positive and negative aspects. However, it is undeniable that the understanding of the nature of language determines the teaching approach. As time goes, the grammar-translation which used to dominate all the teaching practice reveals some drawbacks. As a result of the teaching method, learners are unable to use what they learnt for communication but description. This paper attempts to restate principles of the commonly used approach worldwide which put language in the right position of what it is "communication". By reviewing some key features of communicative competence which is the fundamental of the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), we hope that will benefit practioners who are sparing no efforts to make the teaching and learning of English more efficient.