I began work on a second edition. The consensus was, and I agreed, that it was time for a second edition. Which I found quite funny because as you know when the first edition was published in 1983, it was considered avant garde and even controversial. For many Native English teachers Communicative Competence may take on a Dell Hymes slant. We may be concerned with teaching our students the social rules of English rather than simply linguistic interaction in the target language.
Communication involves the negotiation of meaning.
And the development of skills comes with participation in communicative events. The widespread use of English as an international language in the world today obliges us to reflect on the content as well as the method of English language teaching. Teachers frequently come with an agenda, including the promotion of a particular variety of English, say, British English or American English. Teachers must constantly stop and check and make sure that this isn't done. In Japan, the testing issue is a hotly debated topic.