The ?Competent Foreigner? A new model for foreign language didactics?

Abstract

The traditional schema of the language learning-teaching situation is being increasingly challenged by didacticians, sociolinguists and cognitive psychologists, and in particular the constitutive roles of teacher, learner and native speaker have been largely reconfigured to take into account approaches such as learner autonomy and self-directed learning. In this article we will suggest and explain a new model for foreign language didactics: the competent foreigner. This concept emphasizes the fact that learners should be themselves instead of trying to become native speakers. We are using the concept of the competent foreigner in our ongoing research at the CRAPEL: the description and analysis of exolinguistic service encounters.