Hymes针对Chomskv的语言能力学说提出了交际能力学说,并由此产生了交际语言教学途径。Hymes认为,语言学习者拥有交际能力就是同时拥有语言知识和实际使用语言的能力。于是培养学生良好的交际能力和交际素质就成为各级外语教学的共同目标。本文作者探讨了交际能力理论的产生和发展及其对大学英语课堂教学带来的启示。 Hymes proposed the communicative competence theory for Chomskv’s linguistic competence theory, and thus produced a communicative language teaching approach. Hymes believes that language learners’ ability to communicate is the ability to have both linguistic knowledge and the actual use of the language. Therefore, cultivating students’ good communicative competence and communicative competence has become the common goal of foreign language teaching at all levels. The author of this article explores the emergence and development of communicative competence theory and its implications for college English classroom teaching.