How Linguistic Competence Influence the Other Three Components of Communicative Competence

Language is a vital means of communication. It is in fact, the most widely used medium since both oral
and written communication are adjacent with language and cannot do its intended purpose without it.
But Communication itself is not composed entirely of language. It has other components to consider
with. But how can linguistic competence really influence the entire streams of communication? First, let
us find out what linguistic competence was all about.
Linguistic Competence is the knowledge of the language code, i.e. its grammar and vocabulary, and
also of the conventions of its written representation (script and orthography). The grammar component
includes the knowledge of the sounds and their pronunciation (i.e. phonetics), the rules that govern
sound interactions and patterns (i.e. phonology), the formation of words by means of e.g. inflection and
derivation (i.e. morphology), the rules that govern the combination of words and phrases to structure
sentences (i.e. syntax), and the way that meaning is conveyed through language (i.e. semantics).
(http:/www.linguisticator.com, 2013)
As Dell H. Hymes observed, A normal child acquires knowledge of sentences not only as grammatical,
but also as appropriate. He or she acquires competence as to when to speak, when not, and as to what
to talk about with whom, when, where, in what manner. In short, a child becomes able to accomplish a
repertoire of speech acts, to take part in speech events, and to evaluate their accomplishment by
others. (Dell, 1972, 277)
In his book, Dell implied that grammatical knowledge are synonymous to a childs social interaction. He
observed that just as a child learns to use the common grounds of language, he or she is also learning on
how to interact with other people especially other children. The child learns how to make choice of
words depending on the situation not just to express Himself better but also to avoid offensive remarks.
He/she learns to use words through other means such as writing, talking, listening or even giving
response. With this, a person becomes considerate of the sociolinguistic, discourse and strategic
competence of communication. They may or may not be aware but the knowledge of linguistic
competence leads to the discovery of the three remaining component.
The one thing that everyone is certain about is the necessity to use language for communicative
purposes in the classroom. Consequently, the concern for teaching linguistic competence has widened
to include communicative competence, the socially appropriate use of language, and the methods
reflect this shift from form to function. (Paulston, 1992)
Teaching of the language should not just focused on the grammatical aspects but should take
considerations of intercultural factors which are diverse and dependent of time and place. Paulston
refers to the communicative competence by which a man considers his words with depending on where
or when he is and what methods should he appropriate. Form and function should go hand in hand in
order to achieve a successful conversation.