Can you remember a time when you uttered a phrase from a language textbook and used it on a native speaker, only to receive a blank stare? This frustrating scenario is not uncommon when one decouples a language from its cultural context. If you want to communicate effectively with people of a different culture, you need to not only know their language, but also understand the culture in which that language is grounded. In language learning, we call this communicative competence.

Communicative competence describes how we use language based on the context of a given social situation. We rely on ‘metalinguistic awareness’: words and phrases have both literal and implied meaning. That implied meaning is often rooted in the language’s cultural context. If a word is taken out of a cultural context, it loses meaning, or even worse, becomes misconstrued. 

Consider an idiom, where you need to distinguish between figurative and literal meaning – often the two are very different. To decipher the figurative meaning, you are relying on cultural context to derive meaning from the literal interpretation. That figurative meaning might come from a fable or important historical event in that culture.

For another example, consider how you would address a cashier at the grocery store versus your friend.  With the cashier, you might use more polite, formal language, whereas with your friend, you might use slang and even playful sarcasm. Knowing what type of language to use in which context is a core component of communicative competence, and it varies greatly from culture to culture.

The sociolinguist Dell Hymes created a framework using the acronym SPEAKING to demonstrate that language needs to be studied within the appropriate cultural context. This model includes the setting, participants, purpose, delivery, and social rules that govern the interaction. The elements of the framework are all culturally dependent, which illustrates that learning a language is also about learning the culture.

You have a natural communicative competence with your first language (L1) – after all, you grew up in that culture. But in your second language (L2), it is more challenging because cultural context is often not taught in language textbooks.

The best way to improve communicative awareness is through cultural immersion.  When you spend time in a foreign culture, your mind will subconsciously develop a metalinguistic awareness by hearing how idiomatic phrases are used by locals and observing non-verbal cues like body language and facial expressions.

Communicative competence will greatly enhance your language learning process. If you understand the cultural and social contexts in which language is used, it will provide a richer immersive experience and lead to more natural interactions with native speakers.  It will allow you to pick up the language more quickly and create more phonetically accurate sounds. Moreover, you will know when to use certain expressions at socially appropriate times. 

Over time, you’ll develop native-like instincts and rely on the fact that a certain word just sounds better or just feels right even though you can’t quite explain why that is. And through real-world interactions with people, you’ll start to understand unspoken rules based on your observations versus memorizing grammar and syntax that may not even accurately reflect how people speak in the real world. 

My challenge to you is to start to listen and look for inconsistencies between what you learn in your language textbook and how that language is used by native speakers. If you don’t live in an area where that language is used, try movies, TV shows, or even online chat forums in that language. You’ll be surprised by the number of differences. And by developing that awareness, you’ll strengthen your communicative competence and accelerate your path to becoming a native-like speaker!

For more lessons on communicative competence check out this introduction to the Dell Hymes Speaking Model.

Also, tune into this Explearning live stream replay for a lively and informative conversation about applying this SPEAKING model to everyday life, speech acts, and daily events.

And, if you're looking to learn more about how communicative competence can improve your language learning capabilities, then this lesson is for you!

Now go out there and conquer your destiny!

Note: A version of this article was published in The Globetrotter, Global LT’s monthly Teacher newsletter

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