Models of Communicative Competence

With the implementation of the Fundamental Reform in Education in Iran, and development of the National Curriculum, foreign language education in Iran aims to develop four language skills through Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). However, CLT, which aims to develop communicative competence, make certain demands on teachers in terms of teaching skills and competences. This papers reviews the major models of communicative competence in the literature of CLT, and in the light of these models, clarifies some of the expectations from CLT teachers. It also pinpoints the difficulties teachers accustomed to traditional methods may have. Implications of the change in the system of language education are also highlighted for teacher educators in pre-service and in-service programs.