Which term describes communication strategies such as asking for help, paraphrasing, avoidance?

Which term describes communication strategies such as asking for help, paraphrasing, avoidance?

• A. Sociolinguistic competence
• B. Strategic competence
• C. Descriptive grammar
• D. Pedagogic grammar

Answer: (B)

Strategic competence is the ability to use communication strategies to keep a conversation going when you’re unsure of the exact word or structure you need. This includes asking for help, paraphrasing, and avoidance (circumlocution) to convey meaning and manage interaction. In Canale and Swain’s framework, it sits alongside grammatical, sociolinguistic, and discourse competencies, helping you navigate real-time communication when linguistic resources are imperfect. It’s about keeping communication effective, not just about describing language or teaching rules. The other terms describe different aspects: sociolinguistic competence is about using language appropriately in social contexts, descriptive grammar is about how language is used in practice, and pedagogic grammar is about how grammar is taught.