linguistic competence

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Definition

Noun: 1. (Linguistics): The unconscious, internalized knowledge of the rules and system of a language that allows a native speaker to understand and produce an infinite number of grammatically correct sentences. It is the abstract, idealized knowledge of language, distinct from the actual use of language in real situations (which is called linguistic performance).

Usage
  • Linguistic competence is a theoretical concept used to describe what a speaker knows about their language.
  • It is concerned with the underlying mental grammar, including knowledge of syntax, phonology, morphology, and semantics.
  • This term is primarily used in academic and linguistic discussions.
Examples
  • A child's linguistic competence develops naturally through exposure to their native language, long before they can explicitly state any grammatical rules.
  • The study aims to model the linguistic competence that enables speakers to judge whether a sentence is possible in their language, even if they have never heard it before.
  • The errors in his speech were attributed to factors like nervousness or memory lapse, not a lack of linguistic competence.
Advanced Usage
  • Chomskyan Competence: Often associated with the work of Noam Chomsky, who made the competence-performance distinction central to generative grammar. It focuses on the innate, universal cognitive structures that underlie language knowledge.
  • Communicative Competence: A broader concept that expands on linguistic competence to include the knowledge of to use language appropriately in different social contexts (e.g., knowing what to say, to whom, and in what situation).
Variants and Related Words
  • Competence (n): In a general sense, the ability to do something successfully or efficiently. In linguistics, it is specifically contrasted with .
  • Performance (n): (Linguistics) The actual, observable use of language in concrete situations, which can be influenced by factors like memory, distraction, or social context. It is the counterpart to .
Synonyms
  • Language knowledge (general term)
  • I-language (Internalized language; a term used in Chomskyan linguistics)
  • Grammatical competence (a more specific component of linguistic competence)
Related Phrases/Concepts
  • Competence-performance distinction: The fundamental theoretical separation between the knowledge of language (competence) and its actual use (performance).
  • Pragmatic competence: The knowledge of the rules for using language in context to achieve communicative goals, often considered part of broader communicative competence.
Noun
  1. (linguistics) a speaker's implicit, internalized knowledge of the rules of their language (contrasted with linguistic performance)