Development of communicative competence through distance learning

Abstract

The author defines the meaning of the term communicative competence, presets the structure of this characteristic and considers the development of its basic components by means of distance learning technologies. Relevant distance learning technologies are listed on the basis of teaching experience; the author evaluates their educational potential taking into consideration the fact that communicative competence includes speaking, writing, listening and reading skills, and the training process should involve the development of normative language aspects as well as skills in appropriateness of language use (on the level of perception and utterance production) in the specified context. Speaking skills are supposed to be the most significant in assessment of communicative competence development. The author shows that distance learning potential varies depending on the form of speaking (individual / pair / group / whole class interaction), describes current problems and the ways to solve them. The article considers educational principles which help to optimize the process of teaching and facilitate the efficient use of distance learning technologies for the development of communicative competence components. Distance learning prospects are analyzed on the ground of instrument potential, teachers and students experience. The following methods are used for the research: analysis and synthesis of scientific data, analysis of empirical data, questionnaire survey and participant observation. The results of the research can be applied for teaching foreign languages in organizations implementing distance learning courses.