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Intercultural competence as an aspect of the communicative ...

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to use conversational conventions (holding <strong>the</strong> floor, turn taking, interrupting, providing<br />

feedback, etc.). Actional <strong>competence</strong> is linked to sociolinguistic <strong>competence</strong>, comprising<br />

knowledge <strong>an</strong>d ability to match ‘actional intent with linguistic form b<strong>as</strong>ed on <strong>the</strong><br />

knowledge <strong>of</strong> verbal schemata that carry illocutionary force’ (Celce-Murcia 1995: 17). It<br />

is, <strong>the</strong>refore, <strong>the</strong> ability to know how to use l<strong>an</strong>guage to perform certain functions (make<br />

a promise, give orders, or complain). Finally, strategic <strong>competence</strong> includes knowledge,<br />

skills <strong>an</strong>d ability to resolve <strong>communicative</strong> difficulties <strong>an</strong>d incre<strong>as</strong>e effectiveness in<br />

communication.<br />

In <strong>the</strong> 2007 model, Celce-Mercia highlights <strong>the</strong> import<strong>an</strong>ce <strong>of</strong> sociocultural<br />

<strong>competence</strong>, <strong>as</strong> opposed to sociolinguistic, <strong>as</strong> she believes learners c<strong>an</strong>not be e<strong>as</strong>ily<br />

dissuaded to ‘ch<strong>an</strong>ge <strong>the</strong>ir native verbal behavior’ (Celce-Murcia 2007: 46). Also,<br />

formulaic (routines, collocations, idioms) <strong>an</strong>d interactional (information exch<strong>an</strong>ges,<br />

interpersonal exch<strong>an</strong>ges, expression <strong>of</strong> opinions <strong>an</strong>d feelings, complaining, blaming,<br />

apologizing, turn-taking, interrupting, getting, holding, <strong>an</strong>d relinquishing <strong>the</strong> floor, back<br />

ch<strong>an</strong>neling) (<strong>the</strong> latter used to be termed actional) <strong>competence</strong>s gain in import<strong>an</strong>ce <strong>as</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong>y are seen <strong>as</strong> essential for successful completion <strong>of</strong> speech acts. This ch<strong>an</strong>ge in <strong>the</strong><br />

conceptualisation <strong>of</strong> CC comes with a heightened awareness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> import<strong>an</strong>ce <strong>of</strong> learning<br />

being contextualised in au<strong>the</strong>ntic material, <strong>an</strong>d <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fact that learning ‘through content is<br />

one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most effective me<strong>an</strong>s available for achieving <strong>communicative</strong> <strong>competence</strong> in a<br />

second or foreign l<strong>an</strong>guage’ (Celce-Murcia 2007: 51).<br />

Common Europe<strong>an</strong> Framework <strong>of</strong> Reference<br />

The import<strong>an</strong>ce <strong>of</strong> <strong>communicative</strong> <strong>competence</strong> is seen also in <strong>the</strong> fact that it h<strong>as</strong><br />

been included <strong>as</strong> one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> main teaching aims in Common Europe<strong>an</strong> Framework <strong>of</strong><br />

Reference (CEFR) (2001), a guideline for l<strong>an</strong>guage teaching. CEFR defines<br />

<strong>communicative</strong> l<strong>an</strong>guage <strong>competence</strong> <strong>as</strong> comprising several components: linguistic,<br />

sociolinguistic <strong>an</strong>d pragmatic. Each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se components, in turn, consists <strong>of</strong> knowledge<br />

<strong>an</strong>d skills <strong>an</strong>d know-how. Linguistic <strong>competence</strong>s ‘include lexical, phonological,<br />

syntactical knowledge <strong>an</strong>d skills <strong>an</strong>d o<strong>the</strong>r dimensions <strong>of</strong> l<strong>an</strong>guage <strong>as</strong> system,<br />

independently <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sociolinguistic value <strong>of</strong> its variations <strong>an</strong>d <strong>the</strong> pragmatic functions <strong>of</strong><br />

its realisations’ (CEFR p. 13). This dimension <strong>of</strong> <strong>communicative</strong> <strong>competence</strong> st<strong>an</strong>ds for<br />

both <strong>the</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> knowledge <strong>an</strong>d cognitive org<strong>an</strong>isation <strong>of</strong> that knowledge. This is <strong>an</strong><br />

import<strong>an</strong>t <strong>as</strong>pect <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> linguistic <strong>competence</strong> because <strong>the</strong> cognitive org<strong>an</strong>isation is seen<br />

46

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