Communicative competence in the plural and the teaching of english in non-native contexts

Abstract

A native speaker model of communicative competence can neither adequately describe English language learning and use in non-native contexts nor can it be used to address the unique pedagogical concerns of non-native speakers. Required is a pluralistic view that recognizes formal and functional variation across Englishes. This paper describes the nature of competence in English and illustrates why and how a pluralistic model of communicative competence should and can be applied in addressing three major pedagogical issues in non-native contexts: (1) model of language, i.e. whose English learners should strive to approximate; (2) intelligibility, i.e. the degree to which learners' English may deviate from the norm and still be considered acceptable and understandable; and (3) the particular communicative competence learners are to develop, i.e. what uses they are going to make of English, where and with whom they will use it. Examples of English learning and use drawn from West Germany, Japan and India will demonstrate that communicative competence in the plural is an essential consideration if English language teaching in non-native contexts is to be responsive to the needs of learners and realistic in terms of the goals and expectation for use set for them.