Question

Who coined the term "communicative competence" and what prompted it?

A. Chomsky; The need to understand language structure.
B. Hymes; The need to focus on language usage in context.
C. Skinner; The need to emphasize language acquisition.
D. Saussure; The need to study language evolution.

Answer 1

Dell Hymes coined 'communicative competence' to focus on language usage in context, contrasting with Chomsky's focus on innate grammar rules.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term "communicative competence" was coined by Dell Hymes to address the need to focus on language usage within its sociocultural context, rather than on language structure alone. This concept was prompted by the recognition that knowing how to use language appropriately in different social situations is as important as knowing the rules of grammar. Hymes' work was partly a response to Noam Chomsky's earlier emphasis on linguistic competence, which focused on the innate structures of language cognition without taking into account the social aspects of language use.