Classroom communication climate and communicative linguistic competence of EFL learners

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the classroom communication climate and communicative linguistic competence of EFL students who are in their senior years in a university. This is a descriptive method of research which intended to find out the correlation between classroom communication climate and communicative linguistic competence. A validated questionnaire on the perceived classroom communication climate was used. To measure the students' proficiency in the English language, a validated 100-item communicative linguistic assessment was given. The data gathered from the study were subjected to descriptive statistics such as means and standard deviations; and inferential statistics which included t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson r Correlation, all set at .05 alpha. The findings revealed that the students perceived the classroom communication climate as supportive. This supportive communication climate means that the communication atmosphere in the classroom allows students' flexibility, experimentation, and creativity. Understanding and listening to the students, respecting their feelings and acknowledging their individual differences, making them feel secure, and avoiding control in the classroom are the teacher attributes that corroborate a supportive communication climate in the classroom. Moreover, the teacher is also a free of hidden motives and honest but with a few limitations. The students' communicative linguistic competence was proficient. Programme enrolled and sex were not significant correlates of the perceived type of classroom communication climate and students' communicative linguistic competence. There was a significant relationship between classroom communication climate and communicative linguistic competence. © 2013 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland.