Original scientific paper
ENGLISH AND GERMAN LEARNERS’ LEVEL OF COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE IN WRITING AND SPEAKING
Vesna Bagarić
; Filozofski fakultet u Osijeku, Sveučilište u Osijeku
Abstract
Recent research on communicative competence of foreign language
learners has indicated that learners of different foreign languages attain different
levels of communicative competencedespite having learnt the target language for
the same period of time. The main purpose of this study is to compare English
and German language learners’ level of communicative competence in writing and
speaking in Croatia. The results show no signifi cant differences in either the level
of communicative competence in writing and speaking or in the attainment level of
the majority of communicative competence components between primary school
English and German learners at A2 level (4-5 years of learning the target language).
However, secondary school English and German language learners at B1 level (8-
9 years of learning the target language) show signifi cant differences in both their
overall level of communicative competence in writing and speaking and level of
their attainment in almost all components of communicative competence. The
reasons for these differences between learners of English and learners of German
and their relevance for the teaching and learning of these languages are addressed
in the discussion.
Keywords
communicative competence; components of communicative competence; foreign language; learners of English; learners of German; primary school; secondary school
Hrčak ID:
26954
URI
Publication date:
14.5.2007.
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