Linguistic Competence (Noun)
Meaning
(linguistics) a speaker's implicit, internalized knowledge of the rules of their language (contrasted with linguistic performance).
Classification
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects.
Examples
- A child's linguistic competence is demonstrated by their ability to create novel sentences that they have never heard before.
- The concept of linguistic competence is central to Noam Chomsky's theory of generative grammar, which posits that language acquisition is facilitated by an innate capacity for language.
- Linguistic competence is often assessed through experiments that test a speaker's ability to recognize and generate grammatically correct sentences.
- The distinction between linguistic competence and linguistic performance is important in linguistics, as it highlights the difference between a speaker's underlying knowledge of language and their actual use of language in context.
- A speaker's linguistic competence may not always be reflected in their linguistic performance, as factors such as fatigue, distraction, or language contact can affect their ability to produce grammatically correct sentences.