Variation and Universality in Communicative Competence: Coseriu's Model

Both nonnative and native speakers of a language vary in their knowledge and control of the elements of communicative competence. Some of these elements themselves are universal and available to all speakers of all languages, while others are universal in the sense that they can be used in any language the speaker knows, but are not equally available to all speakers. Other elements are language-specific and have to be learnt anew whenever a new language is acquired, while others again are culture-specific and the property of groups within or across language communities. The article introduces an interpretation of Coseriu's neo-Saussurean model of communicative competence which takes account of these factors and illuminates the teacher's everyday task.