IMPLICATIONS OF CULTURE TO COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE

Abstract

Knowing a language is not the same as knowing about a language. Knowing a language denotes understanding the four language skills; knowing about a language includes knowledge of the four skills, as well as knowledge of describing the systems of the language and how they are used structurally, socially and orally. Knowledge about a language is knowledge of communicating competently, as all workings of the elements of the language are in your brain. Communicative competence in a language is therefore attained by knowledge and use of sociolinguistic competence (social relations), linguistic competence (observing acceptable rules), strategic competence (skill in explaining oneself away when bloc sets in), and discourse competence (right pronunciation). These notable aspects of competence can only be realized by a speaker – hearer acquainting themselves with the cultural values, nuances, philosophies and inherent interpersonal social relationships forming part and parcel of the cultural community of which the language exists. This paper, explaining culture, communicative competence, as well as the interface of culture and communicative competence, identifies various ways culture facilitates communicative competence in human social activities. In establishing these aspects made possible by communicating competently in a language, it presents crucial factors that aid attaining communicative competence in any linguo-cultural community.