Language Communicative Competence Research Articles

Exploring the Role of the Metaverse in English Speaking Proficiency Tests

ABSTRACTBackgroundThis study examines the evolution of English speaking proficiency test methods, which have traditionally relied on face‐to‐face interactions to assess communicative language competence. Recently, computer‐based language tests have also been used on a larger scale, albeit with concerns about their impact on measurement.ObjectivesThis paper investigates the potential of the metaverse in the context of Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPI) for evaluating the speaking proficiency of English learners. Specifically, the research centres on the utilisation of one of the recently emerging metaverse platforms (Zepeto) to conduct OPI tests based on the comparison of the results obtained from the traditional face‐to‐face tests and an online video conferencing platform (Zoom).MethodsA total of 60 EFL young pupils participated in three different speaking tasks via the three modes given in a counter‐balanced order. The test scores of the three modes were rated and analysed to examine the degree to which different test modes had an effect on them. A questionnaire with 10 items (plus one sub‐question) was used to investigate participants' experiences and perceptions of three speaking assessment modes.Results and ConclusionsThe results show that test‐takers performed significantly better in the metaverse test mode than in the other two modes, while no significant difference was found between the face‐to‐face and online video conferencing modes. The sub‐scores of speaking test criteria such as task completion, pronunciation, language use and fluency were also analysed for comparison, and similar results were found except for the sub‐scores of the language use criteria. Responses to the questionnaire also showed that the metaverse platform was the most helpful and preferred mode.Implications for PracticeBased on the findings, this study suggests that the new testing modes incorporated with virtual environments have great potential to be alternatives to traditional testing modes.

Kompetensi dan Kesesuaian Sosiolinguistik dalam Konteks Bahasa Arab Berdasarkan Skala Common European Framework of Reference For Languages

AbstractThis study is grounded in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages updates from its previous 2001 edition. The primary objective of this research is to explore how sociolinguistic competences and appropriateness are reflected in communicative language and sign language competences and to contextualize these aspects within the Arabic language. This study employs a descriptive analysis of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment  Companion Volume (Europe, 2020). The updated scales in the 2020 edition provide a more robust foundation for developing a comprehensive and responsive competence framework that addresses the contemporary dynamics of society, culture, and technology. The results of this study indicate that the updates introduced a more inclusive and practical approach, which can be applied to the context of learning and assessing Arabic language proficiency, particularly speaking skill. Keywords: sociolinguistic competences, sociolinguistic appropriateness, CEFR, Arabic language

KEY FEATURES OF PROFESSIONAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE OF ENGINEERS

The authors analyze the approaches towards interpreting the notions of “foreign language competence”, “foreign language communicative competence”, and “professional foreign language communication”. The professional foreign language competence of the specialist is regarded as a result of the integration of professional and foreign language communicative competence. The interrelation between the university graduate's general communicative competence and professional foreign language competence is scrutinized. The components of foreign language communicative competence of engineering students are analyzed. The structure of this competence is based on the analysis of requirements set for the graduates by the job market. Cognitive and operational-technological competences comprising the professional section of the specialized part of the social-professional foreign language competence of the trainee engineer are relevant to the special competences of the linguistic section staying in a dynamic interaction with them. The offered model was successfully tried out during the interconnected learning of engineering subjects and a foreign language at Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University.

Gender Differences in Motivated Behavior by Croatian Students of English and German in the Out-of-School Context

Motivation is one of the key variables in second language acquisition. Motivation is also an extremely complex phenomenon that is very difficult to precisely measure due to its multidimensionality. Previous research in the Croatian educational context indicates that the intensity of motivation may depend on the target language being learned (e.g. Karlak 2014; Karlak and Mayer 2021; Karlak and Šimić 2016; Karlak and Mayer 2021; Mihaljević Djigunović and Bagarić 2007), but also that differences in the intensity of motivation exist about gender, favoring higher values among female students compared to male students in various dimensions of motivation (e.g. Karlak and Bagarić Medve 2016; Martinović 2018; Martinović and Sorić 2018). Research also shows that female students of English as a foreign language significantly more often engage in various forms of motivated behavior in the out-of-school context, such as watching television in that language, reading, listening to music, and conversing with various individuals in person (e.g. Karlak and Bagarić Medve 2016; Muñoz 2020). The conducted research aimed to determine and compare whether there are gender differences in the Croatian foreign language learning context regarding the frequency of engaging in various forms of motivated behavior in the out-of-school context, and self-assessment of communicative language competence among students studying English or German, since such research is scarce. The results show that gender differences are more numerous in the English language sample. Findings also indicate that female students, compared to male students, more frequently engage in various forms of motivated behavior in the out-of-school context. However, male students assess their level of communicative language competence higher than female students, and this difference is statistically significant among English students in the area of vocabulary.

APPLICATION OF MEDIA EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LESSONS IN INSTITUTIONS OF GENERAL SECONDARY EDUCATION: THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS

The article characterizes the peculiarities of using media education technologies in foreign language lessons in general secondary education institutions in theoretical and practical aspects. The goals of using media technologies in foreign language lessons are defined: to teach students to perceive foreign language media texts of various forms, types and genres; to develop critical thinking, the ability to analyze media texts and evaluate them; to form the ability to acquire, create, transmit and receive media texts using various technical equipment. The stages (reproductive, associative, explanatory, analytical, classification, evaluation) of implementing media education technology in a foreign language lesson are identified and characterized. With the help of media education technologies, a teacher can build a lesson in an interactive mode, which will help prepare students for critical perception of information, its evaluation, selection, as well as the development of aesthetic qualities of a personality, his or her ethical views and general spiritual enrichment. A foreign language teacher should have a sufficient level of media competence, i.e. be able to: change the structure and content of traditional classes by including invalid information in the educational context of the lesson; develop and implement teaching technologies using a multimedia screen, multimedia computer systems; have the basics of multimedia creativity. As a result of using media lessons, students develop media competence, i.e. they can: comprehend foreign language media texts; interpret, critically analyze, evaluate foreign language media texts, understand their topic and idea, targeted focus; find the necessary information in foreign language media texts, systematize it according to certain features; transform visual information into verbal information or vice versa; create their own foreign language media texts. The essence of using media education technologies in foreign language lessons is to use media texts to immerse students in a foreign language and foreign culture environment, to acquaint them with the culture, traditions, nature, climatic and geographical features of the countries whose language is being studied; to develop skills and abilities to perceive and transmit information through the means of the language being studied, as well as their own media texts in various situations of intercultural communication. The introduction of media education technologies in the process of teaching a foreign language in secondary education institutions will contribute to the formation of a harmonious personality of the student, the formation of communicative foreign language competence.

Additive and Causal Connectives in GFL Argumentative Writing

The main objective of foreign language learning and teaching is the development of communicative language competence. One of its key components is discourse competence which consists of three main elements: cohesion, coherence and text composition (Bagarić Medve and Pavičić Takač 2013). The development of writing skills is acknowledged as one of the main challenges in foreign language learning and teaching, which includes the appropriate usage of cohesive devices in order to tackle the semantic relationships within a text. In German, explicit cohesive devices refer to coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions and adverbial connectors. While a bulk of previous research has focused on English as a foreign language, the studies conducted among the learners of German are still scarce Earlier studies (e.g. Breindl 2016; Vaakanainen and Maijala 2022) pointed to a limited range of variations within the same semantic group and an inappropriate use of connectives when comparing their usage between native speakers and learners of German as a foreign language (GFL). The aim of the present study is to analyse the frequency, variation and errors of causal and additive connectives (coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions and adverbial connectors) in GFL argumentative writing. The corpus consists of 43 argumentative essays written by Croatian GFL students at B2 level. The findings concerning frequency show that additional connectives are most frequently used within the whole corpus, whereas causal connectives take third place. The additive coordinating conjunction und is the most frequent additive item, the subordinating conjunction weil is the most frequently used causal item. The results connected to variation point to a wider range in the use of additional connectives in comparison to causal, but also reveal more error recognition within the additive semantic group. The most common types of errors concerning connectors detected in the corpus are as follows: syntax, meaning, spelling/punctuation, redundancy and register. In order to utilize these research findings aiming at improving the writing skills of GFL students in the learning/instructional process, practical implications are presented at the end.

Novel Metaphor Recognition, Interpretation and Construction: Barriers Face Kurds as Non-native English Speakers

This study which is titled ‘Novel Metaphor Recognition and Interpretation: Barriers Face Kurds as Non-native English speakers’ considers the recognition and the interpretation process difficulty of English novel metaphors. Novel metaphor is one of the most problematic types of metaphor in which its creation, recognition and interpretation usually require a higher level of efficiency. This sort of metaphor is highly connected with personal established conceptual systems which probably cause misunderstanding among interactants: native and non-native ones. This study aims at identifying novel metaphor, determining the nature of problems that Kurds as non-native English speakers face in recognizing novel metaphors in English. Thus, it would be helpful for both non-native English learners and speakers to improve their English comprehension and construction competence. The current study makes use of both quantitative and qualitative approach in the process of data analysis; and it has come up with the conclusion that the insufficiency in English communicative language competence, cognitive analysis proficiency, and background knowledge are three main problems in the process of recognizing and interpreting novel metaphors.

Task-Based Teaching Practice Perceived by Civil Engineering Students: A Local EFL Context

Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) is one of the approaches that can significantly enhance students’ communicative language competence. Numerous studies on TBLT demonstrate favorable outcomes, and a notable number of educators affirm that TBLT is among the effective approaches they can employ. By the same token, many students view TBLT positively. However, a significant portion of recent research seems to concentrate exclusively on English students, while TBLT holds potential applicability for non-English students across various disciplines. These students exhibit distinct characteristics due to language exposure in the classroom. This study investigates non-English students' perception of TBLT practice, specifically civil engineering students at Politeknik Negeri Bengkalis. The purposive sampling technique was used, 47 students who learned English with the TBLT approach. This study utilized a perception questionnaire comprising 17 items. It covers three essential considerations in TBLT namely the nature of tasks (5 items), the difficulty level of tasks (6 items), and the teacher’s roles during the practice (6 items). The finding revealed that non-English students had a positive attitude towards TBLT, as they expressed strong agreement with the positive statements in all three constructs. This shows that TBLT is viewed favorably by English and non-English students alike, regardless of their characteristic differences.

Communicative Approach in Developing the Oral Communicative Ability of Igbo L2 Learners at The Upper Basic Level in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

It has been observed that Igbo L2 curriculum has not been promoting the major objective assigned to it, namely, to inculcate in Igbo L2 learners’ communicative competence in Igbo language. This study investigated the effectiveness of communicative approach on oral communicative ability of Igbo L2 learners at the upper Basic level. The quasi-experimental research design involving non-randomized experimental research design. Two research questions and one null hypothesis guided the study. The sample for the study consisted of ninety (90) Jss II Igbo L2 learners drawn from two intact classes in Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. Igbo L2 learners were taught for six weeks (6) using the communicative approach. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while t-test statistics was used to test the null hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed that L2 Igbo learners taught with communicative approach achieved higher in their communicative ability than those taught with conventional method. The study, therefore recommends that teachers of Igbo as a second language should adopt a communicative approach in teaching. They should combine dialogue, games, contests, role play and songs so as to motivate learners and make their lessons very interesting.

Making a Case for Poetry in Action-oriented Foreign Language Courses

"The present article describes a small-scale poetry project intended to foster culturally responsive learning in the C1-level university language course. The instructor of this course had the opportunity to invite an aspiring poet, Ivan Bio from Sierra Leone, to a reading of three of his poems to be performed during one of the sessions. Designed as an extension activity for one of the course units, the project required students to complete a set of tasks to prepare for the poetry reading as well as engage in follow-up activities to reflect on the experience. By describing and analyzing the implementation of this reading session, the authors aim to explore the potential benefits of poetic discourse for language courses based on action-oriented, learner-centered approaches. Against the background of the CEFR descriptors relating to the reception of creative/literary language and the mediation of texts, the authors intend to show that the interpretation and analysis of poetic texts can help students not only to increase their sensitivity to and awareness of the ambivalence of language, but also to in turn expand their communicative language competences, most notably their mediation skills. To achieve these goals, students were asked not only to analyze and explain the poems to their peers, but also to formulate personal responses to the texts. A striking observation was that the context of remote learning where students communicated in a Zoom meeting did not seem to interfere with their willingness and ability to express their attitudes and even their emotions. This made the meeting an emotionally profound experience for everybody involved, and the authors will argue that not only the range but also the intensity of the language learning experience can be greatly enhanced by integrating poetry in the foreign language classroom. The article intends to demonstrate that the CEFR with its Companion Volume (CEFR/CV) and their operationalization in action-oriented approaches form a perfect basis for expanding learners’ language competences through poetry. "

Use of Electronic Devices in the Teaching and Learning of the English Language in Oyo State Senior Secondary Schools

Purpose: The dwindling standard of Nigerian students’ performances in SSCE English language has become worsened. As a result, this study will focus at employing electronic approach in language teaching called Computer Assisted Language Teaching (CALL) to improve the learners’ poor performances in WASSCE, NECO and UTME and other English language external examinations. Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) is a novel electronic approach to language pedagogy being introduced in 1980s in Deakin University, USA was used in this research as a theoretical tool.
 Methodology: This research used Brade’s (2007) teleconferencing and Sussaine Herring’s (2001) Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) as theoretical framework for the study. Coupled with this, questionnaires was administered among 360 students and 36 teachers from 18 purposively selected senior secondary schools in Oyo State. Stratified randomly sampling approach was used in selecting the respondents. Besides, electronic tools like projector and other power-point gadgets down-linked equipment gadgets that are used in electronic language teaching called tele-conferencing was purchased for teaching the respondents. A lecture room was furnished for keeping the gadgets purchased and for using video or tele-conferencing in language teaching in teaching the respondents.
 Findings: The findings revealed that this electronic approach to English language in Nigeria has improve the poor standard of students’ performances in external examinations like WASSCE, NECO and also improve students’ communicative and linguistic competence in English language in Oyo State.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The government and educational authorities in Oyo State should prioritize investments in digital infrastructure, including providing schools with an adequate number of electronic devices and ensuring reliable internet connectivity. This will facilitate seamless integration of technology into the teaching and learning process.

Subject-related communicative language competence: Exploring future information technology specialists' learning and teaching

The need for IT professionals with fluency in foreign languages becomes increasingly critical as the Kazakhstani government implements steps to foster IT innovation. However, there are structural, geographical and professional imbalances in the interaction of supply and demand for IT professionals who can speak a foreign language in the modern labour market which is the main problem that is currently hindering the growth of the IT sector in Kazakhstan. The aim of this study was to assess the development of subject communicative language competencies (a) in linguistic or grammatical ability and (b) in discourse ability in first-year students for the proposed author's innovative learning technique in the educational process as well as the appropriate technological and systematic procedures. A mixed-research method was used in this study. The study involved 365 learners in the "Informatics" direction at the International University of Information Technologies in Almaty, Kazakhstan during the school year 2021-2022. According to the findings, the experiment participants did not develop subject-related communicative language competencies. The results show that the degree of capability formation is not satisfactory. 52.8% is the basic level, 41.6% is the production point and only 5.8% is the high level. Positive dynamics shaping learners' subject-related language communication competencies were identified as a result of the implementation of innovative techniques. This paper contributes to the research on teaching IT students in developing countries and highlights the most important factors that contribute to improve the level of subject-related communicative language competencies of IT students.

ENGLISH INTERJECTIONS: PEDAGOGICAL ASPECT (SOME USEFUL TIPS FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS)

Communicative language competences of secondary and higher education students are formed on the basis of their interrelated speech, sociocultural, sociolinguistic and linguistic development in accordance with their age characteristics and interests at each stage of mastering a foreign language. Interjections in modern English play a significant role in expression of the individual, subjective attitude of the speaker to the situation, the surrounding world, and one’s own feelings and manifestations of will as well. The paper is aimed at highlighting the issue of English interjections within the pedagogical aspect, taking into account the currently existing works of experts in this field. The research describes six tips for teachers and students on the presentation and learning of English interjections at English classes and extracurricular activities. It has been noted that the results of the study may have some practical advantages in preparing students for any scientific activity as well as the work of scientific groups, “English in Intercultural Communication”, in particular. The main attention is focused on the step-by-step algorithm of teaching (learning) English interjections as linguistic universals, the communicativeness of which is in the foreground as the semantics of most of them is revealed via the communication. The following tips are outlined: interest in the issue and motivation of students as the interjection belongs to the most bright elements of the speech emotional sphere; asking a number of questions about the essence of interjections in native and foreign languages, the areas of their use; defining traditional classifications of English interjections and describing their communicative properties; the introduction of the concept of “metacommunication” as interjections are responsible for the emotional side of the utterance, complement it, help the interlocutors understand each other and fill the pauses that may suddenly arise between speakers; functioning of interjections at different phases of speech communication; the ratio of interjections and punctuation marks as signals of various emotions manifestation; emphasizing English interjections translation issues.

Հուզական խոսքային ակտերի ուսուցումը հուզագնահատողական արտահայտությունների միջոցով / Teaching Expressive Speech Acts Through Emotional-Attitudinal Expressions

The present article explores the integration of expressive speech acts in the communicative learning process of a foreign language, primarily English. Speech acts play a significant pragmatic role in communication, and understanding how to perform them appropriately according to the context is essential. However, many general education textbooks for foreign languages lack activities that help learners perceive and use speech acts effectively, which hinders the development of their communicative skills. The paper specifically focuses on expressive speech acts, which bridge the speaker's emotions and the communicative intent. We view emotional-attitudinal expressions as distinct linguistic units for teaching expressive speech acts, for they serve as a tool for infusing an emotional tone into speech and elucidating the speaker's thoughts and feelings. To address this, we provide a brief analysis of communicative language competence and its components, discuss various types of speech acts, and highlight the importance of emotional-attitudinal expressions in both communication and foreign language learning. The article concludes with a set of exercises designed to enhance learners' understanding of speech acts and emotional-attitudinal expressions, guiding them towards effective use in foreign language communication.

PHILOSOPHICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING JAPANESE LANGUAGE TO PHILOLOGY STUDENTS IN UKRAINIAN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The article describes an attempt to trace essential peculiarities of Japanese language within the context of non-Western (Japanese) concept of education, with the aim to analyze the possibilities of improving philosophical and methodological base of teaching Japanese language to philology students in Ukrainian universities. In particular, the system of Japanese language teaching standards (JF standard), developed by the Japan Foundation on the basis of the system used in European methods of teaching foreign languages, is described. The paper discusses strategies through which current JFL teaching and learning practices can be improved, to effectively form communicative and academic language competence of students.

Developing intercultural communicative competence in French-medium content and language integrated learning courses through teacher scaffolding

The increasing popularity of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) courses has attracted the attention of Chinese language educators. Many scholars have examined its functions of facilitating the development of content and language. However, intercultural communicative competence (ICC), as a core aspect of CLIL’s 4Cs (communication, content, cognition, and culture) framework, has been hardly analysed. Moreover, most studies on CLIL courses have been conducted in English-medium contexts, with scant attention paid to CLIL programs delivered in languages other than English. Drawing from sociocultural theory, this study aims to investigate how Chinese students develop ICC through teacher scaffolding in French-medium CLIL courses and their views on facilitating ICC in CLIL courses. The study collected data from a six-week classroom observation of twenty Chinese French-major undergraduates and interviews with seven of these students. The findings revealed that teacher scaffolding, i.e. explaining academic language, drawing on previous knowledge and linguistic scaffolding, helped to develop the participants' ICC. This research addresses the gap in understanding how teacher scaffolding can facilitate students' ICC development in a French-medium CLIL course, providing pedagogical guidance for CLIL teachers on how to promote ICC. FUNDING INFORMATION. The study was funded by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities in China (1103-413000094) and Major Projects of China National Language Commission (ZDA145-2).

Using the CEFR for Improving Pre-service Teachers’ Communicative Competence

The study investigated the effects of implementing "the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages" "CEFR" in the English courses in a teacher education program at one Iraqi public university. An intensive 288-hour CEFR-informed program focusing on communicative language competence was designed. The data collection consists of two phases: pre-CEFR and post-CEFR implementations. A total of 150 fourth-year pre-service teachers participated in the study. The questionnaire was the only instrument used for the data collection, which consisted of two parts: the CEFR Self-Assessment Grid and Bachman and Palmer’s linguistic test. The CEFR Self-Assessment Grid was used to access participants self-assessments of their English proficiency. In addition, the linguistic test examines 13 criteria of language knowledge: language vocabulary, syntax, phonology/graphology (grammatical knowledge), knowledge of cohesion, rhetorical organization, conversational organization (textual knowledge), ideational knowledge, manipulative knowledge, instrumental knowledge, imaginative knowledge (functional knowledge), knowledge of dialects, registers, and idiomatic expressions. It was hypothesized that there would be an improvement in pre-service teachers' performance after the implementation of the CEFR as a teaching framework. All the participants took the pre-CEFR and post-CEFR tests to examine their English language competency. The questionnaire was used in pre- and post-tests. The pre-CEFR test results showed that a significant percentage of the participants did not have adequate proficiency to be an English teacher (CEFR A2 and B1). Consequently, a course was designed to enhance pre-service teachers' communicative competence level required for them to be effective teachers, which is considered the main goal of teaching and learning English in the Iraqi colleges of education. The results were estimated according to the CEFR self-assessment grid and Bachman and Plamer’s (1996) checklist. The results of the post-test proved that the pre-service teachers had made more progress in their language proficiency as a result of implementing the CEFR compared to their levels before.

ДИДАКТИЧНИЙ ПОТЕНЦІАЛ АВТЕНТИЧНИХ МАТЕРІАЛІВ ДЛЯ ФОРМУВАННЯ ІНШОМОВНОЇ КОМУНІКАТИВНОЇ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТІ НА ЗАНЯТТЯХ З ІНОЗЕМНОЇ МОВИ

The article deals with the expediency of using authentic materials in foreign language classes to develop students' language communicative competence. The concepts of "authenticity" and "authentic materials" are analyzed. It is determined that authentic materials come from the country whose language is being studied and are primarily intended for native speakers, therefore they are distinguished by the originality of the lexical composition, grammatical forms and structures, and reflect the content and situations that correspond to the mentality and norms of that country. It is clarified that these materials include printed texts such as newspapers, magazines, literary works, announcements, advertising brochures, etc.; audio materials such as radio broadcasts, podcasts, songs; and video materials such as news reports, advertisements, interviews, artistic and documentary films, etc. The possible ways of using authentic printed, audio, and video materials are analyzed. The stages and methods of working with different types of authentic materials are presented, which ensure the expediency of their use in foreign language classes. Criteria for selecting authentic materials have been defined: correspondence of the content of authentic materials to the language proficiency level, age, and interests of students; orientation of the material towards the development of communicative and sociocultural competencies; suitable format of the material that allows for the use of didactic possibilities. The advantages of using authentic materials in foreign language classes have been summarized: increased motivation of students to learn a foreign language; learning a foreign language through examples of its use in real-life situations; familiarization with the country-specific features, culture, traditions, realities, and mentality of people; creating a relaxed atmosphere in class that stimulates interest, cognitive anticipation, and imagination; the uniqueness of authentic materials enhances attention, develops memory, and promotes effective assimilation of the material. The disadvantages, such as the large amount of time required for searching and selecting authentic materials that meet all the criteria, and developing tasks for these materials, have been identified. It has been determined that the perspective of further work is the development of a complex of educational materials based on authentic sources and their testing in foreign language classes.

Enhancing communicative competence in English Second Language classrooms through traditional storytelling

This paper aimed to explore the use of traditional stories as a tool to facilitate and enhance communicative competence in English Second Language (ESL) classrooms. The sudden switch from in-person to online instruction during COVID-19 caused a decline in communicative activities, including traditional storytelling. Any language program should aim to generate learners who are proficient in communication. According to research, even learners with low motivation and poor academic skills are more inclined to listen and put much effort into the narrative setting. This paper is grounded on Gardener’s Multiple Intelligences Theory, which challenges the traditional view of the Intelligent Quotient Theory and enables teachers to take a renewed look at other views about learning development. This study adopted an interpretive paradigm entrenched in a qualitative approach using a case study design. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 5 conveniently selected Grade 6 teachers. Content analysis was used to analyse data. Findings revealed that (i) learners are not engaged in traditional storytelling in schools and (ii) a lack of recordings of traditional stories. The lack of traditional storytelling in schools denies learners opportunities to share their cultural knowledge and values. This paper recommends that traditional stories be included in the school curriculum to improve learners’ communication skills. Furthermore, traditional storytelling can act as a vehicle for restoring the learners’ culture.

COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE COMPETENCE AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE USAGE OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL LEARNERS OF SAN PABLO COLLEGES

The study briefly investigated the communicative language competence and English language usage of Junior High School learners (JHS) of San Pablo Colleges. The study is considered essential to help language teachers cultivate and enhance students’ communicative competence in order to ensure maximum participation and use of the target language despite the current situation in which students may approach speaking as a means of settling social disputes and forging relationships with others in the near future. Communicative language competence focused on areas such as grammar competence, discourse competence, sociolinguistic competence and strategic competence while English language usage focused on the extent of usage at home, in different platforms, and in the community. A descriptive quantitative research design was employed in the study which was participated by all JHS learners of San Pablo Colleges through complete enumeration. The JHS learners exhibits a positive result in the Communicative Language Competence. They were found to be advanced in grammar and sociolinguistic competence. While in language usage, the students were found to often use the English language in areas such as: at home, in the different platforms, and in the community. Therefore, it was found that there is a moderate positive competence between the Communicative Language Competence and English Language Usage. It implies that learners are able to speak fluently and accurately and are able to exhibit an advanced foundation of the Prosodic features of speech, and vocabulary