Linguistic Competence vs. Communicative Competence
While both are crucial for effective communication, linguistic competence and communicative competence are distinct concepts:
Linguistic Competence:
* Focus: Knowledge of the grammatical rules of a language.
* Includes:
* Phonology: Sound system and pronunciation.
* Morphology: Structure of words and their parts.
* Syntax: Sentence structure and word order.
* Semantics: Meaning of words and phrases.
* Pragmatics: Understanding of how language is used in context.
* Example: Knowing that "The cat sat on the mat" is grammatically correct and "Sat the cat on mat the" is not.
Communicative Competence:
* Focus: The ability to use language effectively in real-world situations.
* Includes:
* Sociolinguistic competence: Understanding of social rules and conventions in language use.
* Strategic competence: Ability to adapt language to different situations and overcome communication breakdowns.
* Discourse competence: Understanding of how language is organized in larger units, like conversations and texts.
* Functional competence: Ability to use language for various purposes like expressing opinions, giving instructions, or requesting information.
* Example: Knowing how to politely ask for directions in a new city, or how to adapt your language when speaking to a child vs. an adult.
Key Differences:
* Focus: Linguistic competence is about the knowledge of language, while communicative competence is about the ability to use that knowledge in context.
* Application: Linguistic competence is internal, while communicative competence is external, focusing on how language is used in real-world interactions.
* Scope: Linguistic competence is often limited to grammatical rules, while communicative competence encompasses a broader range of language skills.
In Summary:
Linguistic competence is the building block for communicative competence. While knowing the rules of a language is important, it's not enough to communicate effectively. Communicative competence is the ability to use those rules in context to achieve your communication goals.