1 Psychology and human development1.7 Language and communication
1.7.6 Communicative competence
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Written by Resident Doctor Committee · Published
New in the 2027 syllabus
The College added this topic for exams from January 2027.
Communication in context
Communicative competence is using and understanding communication in a way that suits the listener, the purpose and the setting. It goes beyond knowing vocabulary and grammar.
Channel | What carries the information | Examples |
|---|---|---|
Verbal | The words and how they are put together | Explanation, question, metaphor |
Paraverbal | How the speech sounds | Intonation, emphasis, pace, volume and pauses |
Non-verbal | Behaviour that goes with the words or replaces them | Gesture, facial expression, posture, gaze and distance |
Effective exchange
Pragmatic skills include taking turns, staying on a topic, adjusting to what the other person already knows and repairing a misunderstanding.
Congruence means the channels agree with each other. A mismatch is a reason to ask and clarify, not proof that the person is being deceptive.
Cultural conventions shape eye contact, silence, how close people stand and how direct they are. No single gesture has the same clinical meaning everywhere.
Accessible communication uses the person's preferred mode, gives information in manageable amounts and checks understanding.
Hearing, motor and language impairments can change how a person communicates. On their own, they do not show impaired intelligence or lack of capacity.