About Strategic Competence
In an increasingly globalized world in which languages are commonly used across national boundaries and in settings where neither interlocutor is a native speaker (e.g., as a lingua franca), intercultural communicative competence (ICC) has become the goal of second language instruction. ICC is comprised of five sub-competences – grammatical competence, discourse competence, socio-linguistic competence, strategic competence, and intercultural competence.[1] The first three competences are directly related to linguistic knowledge, while the last competence involves an individual’s ability to effectively navigate cultural difference in interactions. The remaining competence, strategic competence, is unique in that it relates to the ability to effectively use strategies to enhance comprehension and solve communication problems. As a result, second language instruction should assist learners not only in developing linguistic and cultural knowledge (both declarative and procedural), but also in using various strategies to support the learning and communicative process.
Rebecca Oxford has developed a Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) in which she identifies 50 strategies that fit within six categories.[2] The six categories are:
Strategies instruction has been embedded in the beginner French module in two ways. First, strategies instruction has been integrated into lessons throughout the module.[3] As a result, learners will be introduced to a number of different strategies throughout the course and have the opportunity to experiment with various strategies on an on-going basis. Second, strategies instruction has been incorporated into the Personal Language Portfolio. Section three of the portfolio includes a list of strategies adapted from Oxford’s SILL that are most likely to be used by young language learners. It also includes a section for learners to reflect upon the strategies they find most effective and to identify strategies they would like to experiment with. Regular instruction about strategy usage and reflection upon current and future strategy usage should be encouraged throughout the course to ensure learners are developing strategic competence to assist in communicating using the French language.
[1] For more details about the five competences refer to Canale and Swain (1980) and Byram (1997)
[2] A list of the specific strategies within each category can be obtained from Oxford (1990) or Brown (2001)
[3] Strategic competence has been incorporated into lessons 1, 4, 15, 16, 21, 24, 25, 29, 33, 41, 45, 48 and 49
In an increasingly globalized world in which languages are commonly used across national boundaries and in settings where neither interlocutor is a native speaker (e.g., as a lingua franca), intercultural communicative competence (ICC) has become the goal of second language instruction. ICC is comprised of five sub-competences – grammatical competence, discourse competence, socio-linguistic competence, strategic competence, and intercultural competence.[1] The first three competences are directly related to linguistic knowledge, while the last competence involves an individual’s ability to effectively navigate cultural difference in interactions. The remaining competence, strategic competence, is unique in that it relates to the ability to effectively use strategies to enhance comprehension and solve communication problems. As a result, second language instruction should assist learners not only in developing linguistic and cultural knowledge (both declarative and procedural), but also in using various strategies to support the learning and communicative process.
Rebecca Oxford has developed a Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) in which she identifies 50 strategies that fit within six categories.[2] The six categories are:
- Memory strategies
- Cognitive strategies
- Compensation strategies
- Meta-cognitive strategies
- Affective strategies
- Social strategies
Strategies instruction has been embedded in the beginner French module in two ways. First, strategies instruction has been integrated into lessons throughout the module.[3] As a result, learners will be introduced to a number of different strategies throughout the course and have the opportunity to experiment with various strategies on an on-going basis. Second, strategies instruction has been incorporated into the Personal Language Portfolio. Section three of the portfolio includes a list of strategies adapted from Oxford’s SILL that are most likely to be used by young language learners. It also includes a section for learners to reflect upon the strategies they find most effective and to identify strategies they would like to experiment with. Regular instruction about strategy usage and reflection upon current and future strategy usage should be encouraged throughout the course to ensure learners are developing strategic competence to assist in communicating using the French language.
[1] For more details about the five competences refer to Canale and Swain (1980) and Byram (1997)
[2] A list of the specific strategies within each category can be obtained from Oxford (1990) or Brown (2001)
[3] Strategic competence has been incorporated into lessons 1, 4, 15, 16, 21, 24, 25, 29, 33, 41, 45, 48 and 49