Abstract:
With the rejection of the Behaviourist Theory of language which treated language
learning as a matter of habit formation Chomsky (1957) introduced Transformative generative
Grammar and the Theory of innate ability of producing infinite number of sentences with an inborn
capacity of language learning called competence. The categorization of competence and
performance by Chomsky is criticized by Hymes (1972) because Chomsky excluded the
competence of using language in real time contexts and failed to account for socio-cultural aspects.
In a way, this use of appropriate contexts in second language teaching would provide a meaningful
learning situation. Hymes’ theory of communicative competence stresses communicative
competence of a learner in a speech community. In the communicative approach students are
expected to relate language to the social meanings and as a vehicle for social interaction
(Littlewood, 1981). Therefore, the notion of communicative competence must be enlarged to
include appropriate contexts. In this paper, the researcher analyses how socio-cultural contexts
could be accommodate in the curriculum of English Language classes in Sri Lanka with a
preliminary study of ethnographical nature made for three weeks with a group of students at the
Vavuniya Campus. They were engaged in group work using functional contexts and socio cultural
contexts to bring out communication and their written productions made after the performances
were analysed. It was proved that the language proficiency of the students improved better when
they used socio-culture contexts rather than functional contexts for communication.
