5 The user/learner’s competences

In order to carry out the tasks and activities required to deal with the communicative situations in which they are involved, users and learners draw upon a number of competences developed in the course of their previous experience. In return, participation in communicative events (including, of course, those events specifically designed to promote language learning) results in the further development of the learner’s competences, for both immediate and long-term use.

All human competences contribute in one way or another to the language user’s ability to communicate and may be regarded as aspects of communicative competence. It may however be useful to distinguish those less closely related to language from linguistic competences more narrowly defined.

5.1General competences

5.1.1 Declarative knowledge (savoir)

5.1.1.1Knowledge of the world

Mature human beings have a highly developed and finely articulated model of the world and its workings, closely correlated with the vocabulary and grammar of their mother tongue. Indeed, both develop in relation to each other. The question, ‘What is that?’ may ask for the name of a newly observed phenomenon or for the meaning (referent) of a new word. The basic features of this model are fully developed during early childhood, but it is further developed through education and experience during adolescence and indeed throughout adult life. Communication depends on the congruence of the models of the world and of language which have been internalised by the persons taking part. One aim of scientific endeavour is to discover the structure and workings of the universe and to provide a standardised terminology to describe and refer to them. Ordinary language has developed in a more organic way and the relation between the categories of form and meaning varies somewhat from one language to another, though within fairly narrow limits imposed by the actual nature of reality. Divergence is wider in the social sphere than in relation to the physical environment, though there, too, languages differentiate natural phenomena very much in relation to their significance for the life of the community. Second and foreign language teaching is often able to assume that learners have already acquired a knowledge of the world sufficient for the purpose. This is, however, not by any means always the case (see 2.1.1).

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Knowledge of the world (whether it derives from experience, education or from information sources, etc.) embraces:

•The locations, institutions and organisations, persons, objects, events, processes and operations in different domains as exemplified in Table 5 (section 4.1.2). Of considerable importance to the learner of a particular language is factual knowledge concerning the country or countries in which the language is spoken, such as its major geographical, environmental, demographic, economic and political features.

•Classes of entities (concrete/abstract, animate/inanimate, etc.) and their properties and relations (temporo-spatial, associative, analytic, logical, cause/effect, etc.) as set out, for instance, in Threshold Level 1990, Chapter 6.

Users of the Framework may wish to consider and where appropriate state:

•what knowledge of the world the language learner will be assumed/required to possess;

•what new knowledge of the world, particularly in respect of the country in which the language is spoken the learner will need/be equipped to acquire in the course of language learning.

5.1.1.2Sociocultural knowledge

Strictly speaking, knowledge of the society and culture of the community or communities in which a language is spoken is one aspect of knowledge of the world. It is, however, of sufficient importance to the language learner to merit special attention, especially since unlike many other aspects of knowledge it is likely to lie outside the learner’s previous experience and may well be distorted by stereotypes.

The features distinctively characteristic of a particular European society and its culture may relate, for example, to:

1.Everyday living, e.g.:

•food and drink, meal times, table manners;

•public holidays;

•working hours and practices;

•leisure activities (hobbies, sports, reading habits, media).

2.Living conditions, e.g.:

•living standards (with regional, class and ethnic variations);

•housing conditions;

•welfare arrangements.

3.Interpersonal relations (including relations of power and solidarity) e.g. with respect to:

•class structure of society and relations between classes;

•relations between sexes (gender, intimacy);

•family structures and relations;

•relations between generations;

•relations in work situations;

•relations between public and police, officials, etc.;

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•race and community relations;

•relations among political and religious groupings.

4.Values, beliefs and attitudes in relation to such factors as:

•social class;

•occupational groups (academic, management, public service, skilled and manual workforces);

•wealth (income and inherited);

•regional cultures;

•security;

•institutions;

•tradition and social change;

•history, especially iconic historical personages and events;

•minorities (ethnic, religious);

•national identity;

•foreign countries, states, peoples;

•politics;

•arts (music, visual arts, literature, drama, popular music and song);

•religion;

•humour.

5.Body language (see section 4.4.5). Knowledge of the conventions governing such behaviour form part of the user/learner’s sociocultural competence.

6.Social conventions, e.g. with regard to giving and receiving hospitality, such as:

•punctuality;

•presents;

•dress;

•refreshments, drinks, meals;

•behavioural and conversational conventions and taboos;

•length of stay;

•leave-taking.

7.Ritual behaviour in such areas as:

•religious observances and rites;

•birth, marriage, death;

•audience and spectator behaviour at public performances and ceremonies;

•celebrations, festivals, dances, discos, etc.

5.1.1.3Intercultural awareness

Knowledge, awareness and understanding of the relation (similarities and distinctive differences) between the ‘world of origin’ and the ‘world of the target community’ produce an intercultural awareness. It is, of course, important to note that intercultural awareness includes an awareness of regional and social diversity in both worlds. It is also enriched by awareness of a wider range of cultures than those carried by the learner’s L1 and L2. This wider awareness helps to place both in context. In addition to objective knowledge, intercultural awareness covers an awareness of how each community appears from the perspective of the other, often in the form of national stereotypes.

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Users of the Framework may wish to consider and where appropriate state:

•what prior sociocultural experience and knowledge the learner is assumed/required to have;

•what new experience and knowledge of social life in his/her community as well as in the target community the learner will need to acquire in order to meet the requirements of L2 communication;

•what awareness of the relation between home and target cultures the learner will need so as to develop an appropriate intercultural competence.

5.1.2 Skills and know-how (savoir-faire)

5.1.2.1Practical skills and know-how include:

•Social skills: the ability to act in accordance with the types of convention set out in 5.1.1.2 above and to perform the expected routines, in so far as it is considered appropriate for outsiders and particularly foreigners to do so.

•Living skills: the ability to carry out effectively the routine actions required for daily life (bathing, dressing, walking, cooking, eating, etc.); maintenance and repair of household equipment, etc.

•Vocational and professional skills: the ability to perform specialised actions (mental and physical) required to carry out the duties of (self-)employment.

•Leisure skills: the ability to carry out effectively the actions required for leisure activities, e.g.:

• arts (painting, sculpture, playing musical instruments, etc.);

• crafts (knitting, embroidery, weaving, basketry, carpentry, etc.);

• sports (team games, athletics, jogging, climbing, swimming, etc.);

• hobbies (photography, gardening, etc.).

Users of the Framework may wish to consider and where appropriate state:

•what practical skills and know-how the learner will need/be required to possess in order to communicate effectively in an area of concern.

5.1.2.2 Intercultural skills and know-how

These include:

•the ability to bring the culture of origin and the foreign culture into relation with each other;

•cultural sensitivity and the ability to identify and use a variety of strategies for contact with those from other cultures;

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•the capacity to fulfil the role of cultural intermediary between one’s own culture and the foreign culture and to deal effectively with intercultural misunderstanding and conflict situations;

•the ability to overcome stereotyped relationships.

Users of the Framework may wish to consider and where appropriate state:

•what cultural intermediary roles and functions the learner will need/be equipped/be required to fulfil;

•what features of the home and target culture the learner will need/be enabled/required to distinguish;

•what provision is expected to be made for the learner to experience the target culture;

•what opportunities the learner will have of acting as a cultural intermediary.

5.1.3 ‘Existential’ competence (savoir-être)

The communicative activity of users/learners is affected not only by their knowledge, understanding and skills, but also by selfhood factors connected with their individual personalities, characterised by the attitudes, motivations, values, beliefs, cognitive styles and personality types which contribute to their personal identity. These include:

1.attitudes, such as the user/learner’s degree of:

•openness towards, and interest in, new experiences, other persons, ideas, peoples, societies and cultures;

•willingness to relativise one’s own cultural viewpoint and cultural value-system;

•willingness and ability to distance oneself from conventional attitudes to cultural difference.

2.motivations:

•intrinsic/extrinsic;

•instrumental/integrative;

•communicative drive, the human need to communicate.

3.values, e.g. ethical and moral.

4.beliefs, e.g. religious, ideological, philosophical.

5.cognitive styles, e.g.:

•convergent/divergent;

•holistic/analytic/synthetic.

6.personality factors, e.g.:

•loquacity/taciturnity;

•enterprise/timidity;

•optimism/pessimism;

•introversion/extroversion;

•proactivity/reactivity;

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