Key Answers
Key Answers
Module: TEFL Level: Master One Exam: First Semester
Title: Shaping Communicative Global Competence in TEFL: The Interplay of Knowledge, Skill, and Attitude
Introduction
The term “Competency” in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) is a dynamic blend of knowledge, skill, and attitude. There is an absolute need to delve into how these three major components intricately shape students' communicative global competence, with a focus on linguistics, strategic, discourse, and socio-cultural competence.
Body:
Linguistic Competence: “Illustrations to each component”
Knowledge: Linguistic competence begins with a solid understanding of knowledge related to grammar, vocabulary, and phonetics. Students acquiring knowledge in these areas can understand the linguistic system clearly; it is then a primary and fundamental aspect which paves the way to the acquisition of the skill.
Skill: The application of linguistic knowledge involves the mastery of how to apply this knowledge and when exactly. Examples: learners might be taught the different forms of verbs conjugated in the present simple. The ability of how to use this tense and when to use it forms the skill (i.e., the use of knowledge in real life situations). In other words, mastering the ability of using the present simple (form and use) to express habits and general facts produces the required skill which later leads to the formation of the attitude.
Attitude: having learned the ability to apply the knowledge in real life situations (i.e., knowledge + skill), it comes the step of grasping the benefit and the moral state behind the learning process in general. That is, learners will automatically change their perspectives towards the use of tenses. This progress in thought may shape a positive attitude which would in turn foster and boost the learning process.
Strategic Competence:
Knowledge: being aware of the existing strategies that can be used in either the learning process or in communication settings is a crucial factor that both EFL teachers and students should work on. If illustrate to students different met-cognitive, cognitive, and socio-affective strategies during the knowledge delivery (i.e., within the learning-teaching tasks and activities), students will then be knowledgeable regarding the appropriate type of strategy to exploit during a problem solving activity (knowledge about the types of strategies in either learning or communication)
Skill: The application of strategic knowledge requires students to know how, when, and why to use it. That is, if students are exposed to a new word, they could evaluate the effectiveness of two different strategies. First, students can try contextualizing the meaning of the word (i.e., guessing its meaning from the context). Then, they may evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy to see whether it works or not; if not, they will be required to apply another strategy (e.g., directly translating). Mastering the ability of knowing how, when, and why to use this strategic knowledge helps teachers to produce communicative competent participants (i.e., students).
Attitude: having the knowledge and skill to apply the different types of strategies can be reflected by shaping a positive attitude towards the learning process or towards any communicative situation that may contain a problem solving activity. In other words, students can be then psychologically able to engage in any real-life activity.
Socio-cultural Competence
Knowledge: Socio-cultural competence involves understanding cultural rules and knowledge embedded in a particular language. Students need knowledge of cultural diversity in order to be culturally accepted by the target community and to avoid any possible misunderstanding. Example, in Greece, spitting might seem a welcoming cultural habit to bring luck. While in other countries, this seems to be a rude behavior which could lead to a misunderstanding.
Skill: Students’ awareness of these different cultural rules and knowledge could help them obtain the required skill to avoiding misunderstanding in settings where two cultures are totally different (thus, culture shock cannot occur).
Attitude: A culturally sensitive attitude fosters empathy and understanding. Students and teachers with a positive attitude actively seek ways to incorporate cultural elements into the learning-teaching journey, enriching students' language learning experience.
Conclusion:
In the context of TEFL, the interplay of knowledge, skill, and attitude within linguistic, strategic, strategic, and socio-cultural competence shapes students into effective communicators with a global perspective. By developing these competency components, educators not only enhance their own teaching abilities but also contribute significantly to the development of students' communicative global competence, preparing them for meaningful interactions in an interconnected world (i.e., real-life situations)