The Application of Speech Act Theory to Testing Communicative Competence
I. Introduction
Communicative competence is a linguistic term for the ability not only to apply the grammatical rules of a language to form correct utterances, but also to know when to use these utterances appropriately. The term was coined by Dell Hymes in 1966, reacting against the inadequacy of Noam Chomsky’s distinction between competence and performance. Dell Hymes proposed the concept of communicative competence which claimed that a speaker can be able to produce grammatical sentences that are completely inappropriate. In communicative competence, he included not only the ability to form correct sentences but to use them at appropriate times. Since Hymes proposed the idea in the early 1970s, it has been expanded considerably, and various types of competencies have been proposed. However, the basic idea of communicative competence remains the ability to use language appropriately, both receptively and productively, in real situations.
In this paper I will take advantage of the result of a communicative language test to verify different communicative competence of the English learners of different levels. Testing language has traditionally taken the form of testing knowledge about language, usually the testing of knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. However, this test is intended to be a measure of how the learners are able to use language in real life situations. The emphasis is placed on appropriateness rather than on ability to form grammatically correct sentences. The ultimate goal is to examine the learners’ understanding of communicative purpose or intention of the speaker or writer rather than on picking out specific details. The result can reflect the level of learners’ cognitive ability and the development of communicative competence.
II. Relevant theories
The relevant theory concerning this communicative language test is speech act theory. Researches done in the area of speech act theory by linguists J. Austin and J. Searle have thrown light on
Communicative competence is a linguistic term for the ability not only to apply the grammatical rules of a language to form correct utterances, but also to know when to use these utterances appropriately. The term was coined by Dell Hymes in 1966, reacting against the inadequacy of Noam Chomsky’s distinction between competence and performance. Dell Hymes proposed the concept of communicative competence which claimed that a speaker can be able to produce grammatical sentences that are completely inappropriate. In communicative competence, he included not only the ability to form correct sentences but to use them at appropriate times. Since Hymes proposed the idea in the early 1970s, it has been expanded considerably, and various types of competencies have been proposed. However, the basic idea of communicative competence remains the ability to use language appropriately, both receptively and productively, in real situations.
In this paper I will take advantage of the result of a communicative language test to verify different communicative competence of the English learners of different levels. Testing language has traditionally taken the form of testing knowledge about language, usually the testing of knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. However, this test is intended to be a measure of how the learners are able to use language in real life situations. The emphasis is placed on appropriateness rather than on ability to form grammatically correct sentences. The ultimate goal is to examine the learners’ understanding of communicative purpose or intention of the speaker or writer rather than on picking out specific details. The result can reflect the level of learners’ cognitive ability and the development of communicative competence.
II. Relevant theories
The relevant theory concerning this communicative language test is speech act theory. Researches done in the area of speech act theory by linguists J. Austin and J. Searle have thrown light on