Transferability of communicative competence to academic literacy competence in Peruvian university students

Abstract

This study investigates the transferability of communicative competence developed during basic education to academic literacy competence in higher education. The research follows a descriptive-correlational design and addresses two main objectives: (1) to determine the self-perceived mastery of communicative competence in reading and writing among first-year university students, and (2) to examine whether there is a statistically significant relationship between self-perceived communicative competence and expectations of transferability to academic literacy. A Likert-type questionnaire was applied to a non-probabilistic sample of 220 students from various academic disciplines at a Peruvian university. The findings revealed significant but weak positive correlations between reading competence and reading transferability (τ = 0.417; p < 0.05), as well as between writing competence and writing transferability (τ = 0.335; p < 0.05). Despite the low strength of association, students reported a general belief that the reading and writing skills acquired in basic education were useful for coping with university academic demands. These results highlight the relevance of reinforcing literacy bridges in educational policies and curricular design, emphasizing the articulation between secondary and higher education. The study contributes empirical evidence to current debates on academic literacy development and underscores the importance of communicative competence as a foundational skill for academic success.