Linguistic competences
Capabilities to understand, express and communicate meaning
The linguistic competences refer to the set of capabilities that allow people understand and produce oral and written messages in an effective, adequate and contextualised manner. These competences make possible the functional use of language as a communicative, learning, social interaction and cultural participation tool, both for the mother tongue language and other languages.
The linguistic competences do not limit to the grammatical knowledge of a language, but rather they also integrate comprehension, expression, interaction and communicative adequation with respect to the context, proposal and interlocutors.
What do linguistic competences include?
The linguistic competences cover different interrelated components that allow an effective use of the language:
Oral and written comprehension: Capability of understanding messages, texts and oral and written speeches, identifying main ideas, relevant information and communicative intentions.
Oral and written expression: Ability to produce clear, coherent and structured messages, adapted to the context and communicative purpose.
Linguistic correction and precision: Adequate use of vocabulary, grammar and language's own structures, with an according level of correction to the communicative situation.
Contextual adaptation: Capability of adjusting register, tone and language style according to the context, channel and interlocutors.
Communicative interaction: Ability to take part in communicative exchanges, respecting speaking turns, interpreting answers and building meaning in a shared way.
Linguistic and metalinguistic awareness: Capability of reflecting about language use, identifying mistakes and improving communicative competence gradually.
Importance of linguistic competences
Linguistic competences are fundamental because:
They allow effective communication in daily, academic and professional life.
They facilitate the learning of new knowledge and the access to information.
They favour social interaction and citizen participation.
They contribute to the development of thinking and the expression of ideas.
They reinforce personal and communicative autonomy.
An adequate linguistic domain improves the capability of understanding the environment, the expression of opinions and the building of social relations based on dialogue and mutual understanding.
Linguistic competences and professional environment
In the professional context, the linguistic competences are key for:
Understanding instructions, documents and procedures.
Communicating clearly with teams, customers and users.
Writing job reports, emails and documents.
Taking part in meetings, negotiations and presentations.
Unwraping in multilingual and multicultural environments.
Therefore, these competences directly influence in employability, professional mobility and effective performance in several sectors.
Multilingualism and intercultural communication
In a society more and more globalized, the linguistic competences acquire an additional dimension linked to the learning of foreign languages and to intercultural communication. The knowledge and use of several languages expand learning, employment and social participation opportunities, and favours the comprehension between people of different cultures.
A key competence for lifelong life and learning
The linguistic competences are developed and perfected throughout life through continuous use, practice and learning. They constitute an essential pillar of personal, social and professional development, since they allow people understand the world, express with clarity and participate actively in society through languqage.
Consult the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL)MCER)
