Task 14 -- Communicative approach

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Date Posted: 16:27:03 08/08/03 Fri
Author: Ricardo Lacerda
Subject: Task 14

Read the text Testing Communicative Competence and say how we can test communicative competence.

According to Dell Hymes, Communicative Competence is the ability to use the language in all its extent, using its suitable code in each situation. So, an individual who is thoroughly communicative competent is able to use his knowlegde about the language to communicate effectively with other people in real life situations.

If communicative competence involves real life situations, testing must take place in real life simulations. It is very important to observe that the closer to reality, the better the test is, because if a student succeeds in an well-simulated situation, it means s/he would, theoretically, succeed in a real one. It is also important to know and direct the test toward students� needs, as well as to what has been taught throughout the course. If students are studying for specific purposes, then it probably will not be a problem to conciliate these aspects. However, if that is not the case, the course was more abrangent, so testing could be based in common situations students could face anytime, anywhere.

According to the text, the productive skills (speaking and writing) and the perceptive skills (listening and reading) have to be considered during evaluation, focusing on an interesting fact. In real situations, we rarely use these skills isolated. In a discussion, we listen to the other, but we also talk in reply. Usually a perceptive skill is combined with a productive one. The first as a stimulum, the second as a response. This response has to be evaluated according to its appropriateness, since it is difficult to define, in real life, whether an answer is completely right or wrong. If it is logical and meaningful, it is adequate.

A course being evaluated thoroughly by communicative testing seems unlikely to happen. But having students� Communicative Competence tested in addition to other evaluation methods can be useful. It provides a good opportunity for students to see if they are really learning how to communicate, as well as an excelent feedback for the teachers to check if s/he is doing a good job.

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