The problem of ethnocentric bias in speech actstudies: Implications for language teaching

Cecile Le Roux

doi:10.5774/25-0-76

Abstract

The problem of ethnocentric bias in speech actstudies: Implications for language teaching

Highlights

Most language teaching specialists today hold the view that the aim of second language teaching should be to facilitate learners' acquisition of so-called "communicative competence".Leaving aside the many questions concerning the meaning and use of this term that are being hotly debated in the literature, I will use the term "communicative competence" to refer to the system(s) of knowledge that underlie the ability to use a language both accurately, that is, in a grammatically correct way, and appropriately in different social and situational contexts.1It is with the latter aspect of communicative competence in particular, viz. the knowledge underlying the ability to use a language appropriately in context, that this paper will be concerned
Providing answers to questions such as (1) and (2) in particular is a concern of linguistics, with linguistics being taken in a broad sense to include disciplines such as pragmatics, sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics
We may ask what kinds of knowledge a speaker needs in order to determine whether it is appropriate in South African English (SAE) to use the expression

Summary

Introduction

Most language teaching specialists today hold the view that the aim of second language teaching should be to facilitate learners' acquisition of so-called "communicative competence". Leaving aside the many questions concerning the meaning and use of this term that are being hotly debated in the literature, I will use the term "communicative competence" to refer to the system(s) of knowledge that underlie the ability to use a language both accurately, that is, in a grammatically correct way, and appropriately in different social and situational contexts.. Leaving aside the many questions concerning the meaning and use of this term that are being hotly debated in the literature, I will use the term "communicative competence" to refer to the system(s) of knowledge that underlie the ability to use a language both accurately, that is, in a grammatically correct way, and appropriately in different social and situational contexts.1 It is with the latter aspect of communicative competence in particular, viz.

Pragmatic competence

Illocutionary competence

Sociolinguistic competence

Conclusion

Implications for language teaching

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