Communicative competence in teaching english at secondary schools
1. Communicative Competence in Teaching
English at Secondary Schools: A Critical
Investigation in Yaff’ae District of Yemen
Viva Voce Examination
External Referee: Dr. N.B. Pawar.
Head of the Dept. Dr. Ramish Chaugle.
Research Guide: Dr. S. S. Kanade
Research Scholar: Wagdi Rashad Ali Bin-Hady
2. Definitions
Communicative Competence can be defined as the repertoire that a language
user possesses in linguistics, sociolinguistics, discourse, and other
communicative strategies that enable one to participate skilfully in any social
context. It demonstrates the capability of a person to send and receive
messages appropriately in a specific setting.
It is also defined as the “ the most general term for the capabilities of a
person ... Competence is dependent upon both (tacit) knowledge and
(ability for) use” (Hymes 64).
3. A second or foreign language learner needs to gain knowledge in and about the target
language. In order to do that, one needs to know how to build morphemes into words and
words into sentences (linguistic or grammatical competence). Yet, this knowledge is not
the end of learning a language. While grammatical competence may be the essence of
learning a new language; on its own, it is not enough. A learner also needs to know how
to use that knowledge appropriately in a social context. One needs to know about speech
acts (e.g., requesting, suggesting, arguing, etc.) and politeness (sociolinguistic or
pragmatic competence). In addition to these competencies, other components are
also required. A learner needs to know how to produce a largely cohesive and
coherent text, either in writing or in speaking (discourse competence). As a learner
might not understand the total underlying system of a language, s/he needs to know
how to repair any breakdown in conversations (strategic competence).
4. Statement of the Problem
Secondary school graduates in Yaff'ea districts of Yemen face difficulties to register in the
Bachelor programs due to their weak knowledge in English. It is reported that just three
students in all Abyain governorate have passed the entrance examination held by the
faculty of Medicine, Aden University for the academic year 2015-2016. The majority of
Yaff'ea graduate students even those who are good in other school subjects, still complain
from English. AL-Ahdal admits that Yemeni secondary school graduates studied English
for six years like their peers in other countries where English is studied as a foreign
language, however, Yemeni graduates could not use English outside classrooms
(“Integration” 41).
5. The reason beyond such weakness reflects the low aims that students have because the majority
of them just wish to pass the exams, not to use English for communication purposes (Al-
Hammadi and Sidek 171). Moreover, the students’ weakness is also seen as a result of the
unavailability of oral tests as well as to teachers’ ignorance to encourage them to participate in
pair or group discussions (AL-Ahdal, “Enhancing Competence” 16-17). Therefore, the current
research is an attempt to investigate the implication of communicative competence
sub/components in English language classrooms at Yaff'ea secondary school districts of
Yemen. Some of the reasons urged the researcher to conduct such a study are based on
the apparent backward level of secondary school graduates in English. The researcher
thought that learners might acquire considerable repertoire whenever English language
teachers set communicative competence as the main goal of teaching English to their students.
6. Significance of the Study
Problems of teaching English in the Yemeni secondary schools are of significant importance (Al-
Hammadi and Sidek). Thus, the significance of the current study lies in the following incidents.
1.Initially, this study may be considered as an adventure to the field of communicative competence.
It opens new horizons in front of so many previous studies, theories and beliefs which considered
communicative competence to be acquired not taught,
Therefore, the study explores the possibility of setting communicative competence as the goal of
English language instruction.
Additionally, the study provides the field of communicative competence with a contemporary
literature which can be used by teachers, students, supervisors, and scholars to get a clear
understanding about the concept (communicative competence).
It also provides methodologies, techniques and procedures that can be used for the teaching of
communicative competence (sub) elements and the four language skills communicatively.
7. Objectives of the Study
To focus on classroom activities regarding the components of
communicative competence.
To concentrate on classroom activities regarding pragmatic, authentic,
and functional use of language for meaningful purposes.
To make students conscious about the fluency and accuracy of second
language learning classroom.
To explore the extent to which teachers motivate students to use
communicative strategies.
To explore the correlation between teachers’ attitudes and practices
regarding teaching communicative competence.
To observe teachers’ role inside classroom.
8. Questions of the study
1. How do teachers teach grammar?
2. How do teachers teach vocabulary?
3. To what extent do teachers focus on developing students’ discourse
competence?
4. To what extent do teachers focus on developing students’ strategic competence?
5. To what extent do teachers pay attention to developing students’ pragmatic
competence?
6. To what extent do teachers focus on students’ accuracy and fluency?
7. What are the roles of the teachers inside the classrooms?
9. Hypotheses of the study
1. Teachers encounter difficulties in teaching
grammatical competence.
2. Teachers face difficulties in teaching
discourse competence.
3. Teachers come across difficulties in teaching
strategic competence.
4. Teachers encounter difficulties in teaching
sociolinguistic competence.
10. Limitation of the Study
This study is delimited into Yaff'ea districts secondary school teachers of English.
This research takes seven districts secondary school teachers, including: Russed,
Sarar and Sabbah (all these districts are situated in Abyain governorate).
Other four districts are situated in Lahj governorate, including: Laboos,
Almoflehi, Alhad and Yaher. The researcher excluded Khanfar district from the study
because people there were evacuated to other districts due to the civil war. Yaff'ea
is a mountainous rural area situated in South Yemen. It is located to the north of
Aden. Yaff'ea spreads between Albida’a governorate to the northern direction
and Addale’a to the western direction. It is also located by Lawder from the eastern
direction; while Abyan and the Arabian Sea from the southern direction. It is
situated between the longitudinal lines of (45-46) and the latitudinal lines of
(13-14).
12. Chapter One: General Introduction
The first chapter provides a general introduction to the statement of the
problem, the significance of the study and definitions of terms used in
this research. The chapter also focuses on some headings, including: the
learning system in Yemen, the course book used in Yemen, and the
challenges of learning and teaching English at the Yemeni context.
Finally the chapter presents some of the previous studies about
communicative competence as well as communicative language
teaching in Yemen.
13. Chapter two: Literature Review
In this chapter, the researcher intensively reviews seven points related to communicative
competence. Firstly, definitions of the term ‘communicative competence’ have been reviewed
thoroughly. The second title in this literature focuses on four theories concerning communicative
competence (Chomsky, Hymes, Widdowson and Halliday’s theories). In the third title, the
researcher discusses five theoretical frameworks of communicative competence (Canale and Swain,
Bachman and Palmer, Celce-Murcia, Dornyei, and Thurrell, the Common European framework of
Reference and finally Usó-Juan and Martínez-Flor’s models). The fourth section focuses on the four
elements of communicative competence with their sub elements. Previous studies on
communicative competence have been discussed in the fifth section. The sixth section deals with
the teaching of communicative competence elements and finally the seventh section provides an
insight into the Communicative Language Teaching Approach.
17. Chapter Three: Research Methodology
This chapter outlines the research design and methodical approach as well as the instrumentations that the researcher used in
this study for collecting the data from the sample. The context of this study is Yaff'ea, where the sample was drawn from
English secondary school teachers in the Yaff'ea context.
Research Design is defined as “[t]he overall plan for addressing a research question, including specifications for enhancing
the study’s integrity” (Polit and Beck 730).
The current study uses the Multi-methods Research Design.
Sample design
The present study assigns seven districts in Yaffea. Seventy English language teachers responded to the questionnaire items
and fourteen English language teachers were also observed in their classrooms. The selection of the sample is a
nonprobability one. Dornyei states that: “Most actual research in applied linguistics employs non-probability samples” (98).
Nonprobability sampling according to Creswell is chosen by the researcher to participants who are available, convenient as
well as possessing properties that the researcher wants to investigate in the study (Educational Research 624). The current
study assigns three sample designs:
19. Tools of data collection.
Questionnaire
Questionnaire was designed to collect information about:
a)The sample attitudes, and opinions about which sub-
components of communicative competence students need
to become competent in the target language (English).
b) The sample focuses on which elements and sub-elements
of communicative competence that teachers use in their
classes at secondary school level.
Observation
The observation checklist was designed to serve the following
twofold goals:
a)To triangulate the validity and reliability of the data being
collected from the questionnaire, which in fact, express
teachers’ beliefs and attitudes.
b)To give a detailed information about sub-areas of
communicative competence.
20. Validity and Reliability
Questionnaire
Validity was checked through:
Referees
Pilot study
Reliability was checked through
Test Re-test
Triangulation
Observation
Validity was checked though:
Pilot study
Reliability was checked though:
Inter-rater reliability
Triangulation
21. Analyses of Data
Descriptive Analyses
“Descriptive analyses are
used to summarize sets of
numerical data in order to
conserve time and space”
(Dornyei 209).
Inferential Analyses
“Inferential analysis is concerned
with the various tests of
significance for testing hypotheses
in order to determine with what
validity data can be said to indicate
some conclusions” (Kothari 131).
22. Chapter Four: Data analyses and interpretation
In chapter four, the researcher displays the findings for both the
questionnaire items as well as the observation checklist and
compares between similarities and differences for both teachers’
beliefs and practices in actual classroom.
25. Phonology
Questionnaire
All areas of phonology 41%
Sound systems 41%
Not focused 7%
Intonation 5.7%
Stress pattern 1.4%
Other than the listed areas
5.7%
Observation
Not focused 87.6%
Other than the listed areas
14%
Stress pattern 7%
28. Coherence
Questionnarie
Theme of topic 34%
Activating previous
knowledge 29%
Paragraph unity 19%
All choices 1.4%
Not focused 1.4%
Observation
Theme of topic & activating
previous knowledge 28%
Theme of topic 14%
Paragraph unity & theme of
topic 21%
Sequences of tenses 14%
Not focused 21%
29. Conversation structures
Questionnaire
All choices 50%
How to develop ideas
30%
How to open dialogues
19%
Other 1%
Observation
Not focused 57%
How to open dialogues 21.4%
How to open & close a dialogue
14%
All choices 7%
30. Strategic Competence
Do you motivate your students to
use communicative strategies?
Yes 87%
Cannot tell 7%
No 6%
• How often do you motivate your students
to use communicative strategies?
Occasionally 31%
Frequently 30%
Most of the time 25%
Rarely 11%
Never 3%
31. Which communicative strategies do you
motivate your students to use?
Questionnaire
Asking for help 34%
Using Arabic words/phrase
16%
Miming or gustering 16%
Paraphrasing 13%
Achievement strategies 13%
Stopping/ changing the topic
6%
Observation
Not focused at all 79%
Using Arabic words/phrase
21%
32. Sociolinguistic competence
Questionnaire
Language functions
35.7%
Culture 21%
Registers 10%
Varieties 1.4%
All areas 25.7%
Not focused 6%
Observation
64% of the observed teachers
neglected language functions
92% of the observed teachers
neglected culture
All observed teachers focused on
formal register
All observed teachers focused on
British English.
33. Fluency vs Accuracy
Questionnaire
Students’
pronunciation and
grammar 77%
Students’
pronunciation 17%
Students grammar 3%
Avoid to respond 3%
Observation
Students’ pronunciation 40%
Not focused at all 40%
Word choice 7%
Students’ pronunciation &
language use 7%
Students’ grammar 6%
35. Chapter Five: Discussion, Conclusion and RecommendationsChapter Five: Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendations
The fifth chapter includes three sections. It discusses the
main findings with specific focus to the research
questions and hypotheses. It also presents a conclusion
for the major findings in general. It finally provides
recommendations and suggestions for implementing the
study findings.
36. Conclusion
The study found that linguistic competence is taught traditionally from one side and neglected
from another. With reference to using the traditional approach, the study displayed that teachers
in Yaff'ea secondary schools taught grammar rules deductively, while new words are taught by
translating them into students’ mother tongue (Arabic). On the other hand, regarding the
negligence of linguistic competence, it was found that phonology had not been presented in
classroom instruction. Therefore, following traditional approach to teach two sub-components of
linguistic competence and neglecting the third element might not lead to the development of
students’ linguistic competence which is expected to be developed whenever teachers use the
communicative approach and pay attention to all of its sub-components.
37. As the study showed that teachers are still using the traditional approaches to teach
linguistic competence, such approaches have no any implications at the discourse level. The
study found that teachers themselves in the targeted districts have poor knowledge about
discourse competence, specifically in cohesion; therefore teachers are unable to participate in
developing their students’ competence in discourse. Like phonology, discourse competence is
neglected from classroom instruction. Thus, students’ dreams of becoming competent in
communication could not be fulfilled as they had not been given or exposed to language
elements above the sentence levels.
Generally, communicative strategies are used in communicative classrooms, however,
the study displayed contradictions between teachers’ positive perceptions towards developing
their students’ communicative strategies and their negative implications in real classrooms.
Hence, strategic competence could be developed by real practices not by good perceptions.
38. Like the two earlier components of communicative competence, strategic competence
is neglected because such strategies are useless in traditional classrooms. As
communicative competence can be developed when the communicative language teaching
approach is applied. Thus, using traditional approaches could not develop students’
overall competence, it negatively may lead to worthless outcomes.
Sociolinguistic (pragmatic) competence is more difficult to be presented in classroom
than the previously discussed three competencies. Therefore, as teachers in the prescribed
districts could not teach their students discursive, strategic, and phonological elements;
similarly, the study found that the prescribed teachers are not aware of sociolinguistic
competence at all,
39. therefore, it is difficult to imagine that such teachers could foster their students’
pragmatic competence while they lack such knowledge in pragmatic competence
themselves.
It is found that teachers in the prescribed districts measured students’ fluency and
accuracy from traditional orientations. They considered students’ errors as something
which lead to a bad learning or acquisition; therefore, they directly interrupted students
when making errors. Such error-corrections strategies lead to discouraged and trustless
learners.
40. Finally, teachers in the targeted secondary schools, as the study found, played
traditional roles in their classroom. Such roles neglect learners in the learning
process. Therefore, depending on such traditional roles (teacher-center
approach) might not lead to building students’ competence in communication.
However, teachers have good attitudes and perceptions about the goal of English
language teaching to be fostering students’ communicative competence.
Moreover, teachers showed that communicative competence can be fostered by
using the communicative language teaching approach and the amazing roles of
technology in language learning and teaching.
41. Recommendations
Teachers need in-service training programs to teach grammar rules in context.
Teachers should be trained on how to teach new vocabulary in context.
Providing teachers with teachers’ guide to teach the curricula efficiently.
Raising teachers’ awareness of teaching correct pronunciation in their classes.
Reconsidering the final examinations of the final year of secondary schools by
covering all the four language skills.
Raising teachers’ awareness of discourse competence and training them how to
pedagogically enhance their students’ discourse competence.
42. • Raising teachers’ awareness of the roles that communicative strategies can do to
develop learners’ ability to converse using English, as well as training teachers on
how to teach communicative strategies.
• Syllabus designers need to integrate communicative strategies explicitly in
secondary schools courses.
• Teachers need not only training to enhance their students’ sociolinguistic
competence, but also they need training to boost their awareness of pragmatics.
• Training teachers on playing efficient roles which give much of the classroom time
to students’ participation whether in group, pair works or with their teachers.
43. Further Research:
What are the dimensions or polarities that affect teachers’ practices to reflect the
ideas and perceptions they have?
To what extents communicative competence is set to be the aim of English language
teaching at University of Aden.
Do English secondary school curricula in Yemen consist of materials that are responsible
for teaching English from communicative orientation?
Exploring Aden university colleges curricula and to what extents they contain materials
to develop students’ communicative competence
Students’ perceptions about their teachers’ competence in teaching with reference to
