The Communicative Competence - Chomsky vs Hymes

Summary

Noam Chomsky's concept of 'linguistic competence' is explored, emphasizing the innate ability to understand and generate language. He introduces 'linguistic performance' to address practical language use. Hymes expands on this with 'communicative competence,' encompassing linguistic, sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic competences, necessary for appropriate language use. Applied linguists like Canaly and Swain further refine these concepts, contributing to the development of communicative competence theories, which the Council of Europe later detailed in its Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Takeaways

• 📚 Chomsky defines language as a structured system of sentences built from a finite set of elements, emphasizing the importance of generative grammar in linguistics.
• 🧠 Linguistic competence, according to Chomsky, is the innate ability to understand, repeat, and produce new utterances in a language.
• 🌐 To address the issue of non-native or broken English, Chomsky introduces the concept of linguistic performance, which is the practical use of language in specific situations.
• 🤔 Delhimes challenges Chomsky's linguistic competence, arguing that it doesn't fully account for the actual rules of language use and is insufficient for explaining a native speaker's knowledge.
• 💡 In response to these criticisms, the theory of communicative competence is developed, which includes not only linguistic competence but also the appropriate use of language in context.
• 🔍 Communicative competence is broken down into four components: linguistic, sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic competence, each contributing to effective language use.
• 📝 Linguistic competence encompasses knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, phonetics, and writing rules, which are the structural elements of a language.
• 🌟 Sociolinguistic competence involves understanding the sociocultural rules of language use, including appropriateness in different social contexts.
• 🗣️ Strategic competence is the ability to recognize and repair communication breakdowns, using both verbal and non-verbal strategies.
• 📚 Discourse competence is the understanding of how to produce and comprehend coherent and cohesive oral or written texts.
• 🌍 The Council of Europe further develops these concepts of communicative competencies in 2001, contributing to the creation of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Q & A

What does Chomsky define language as?

Chomsky defines language as a set of sentences made of a finite set of elements.

What is generative grammar according to Chomsky?

Generative grammar is an explicit description of Chomsky's point of view on language.

What is linguistic competence in Chomsky's theory?

Linguistic competence, in Chomsky's opinion, is the ability to understand, repeat, and produce new utterances.

Why did Chomsky introduce the concept of linguistic performance?

Chomsky introduced the concept of linguistic performance to avoid the problem of 'broken English' and to explain the use of language in concrete situations.

What does linguistic performance refer to in Chomsky's theory?

Linguistic performance refers to the use of language in a specific context or situation.

What did Dell Hymes argue against Chomsky's concept of linguistic competence?

Dell Hymes argued that linguistic competence could not explain the actual rules of use and was not enough to explain a native speaker's knowledge.

What is communicative competence according to Dell Hymes?

Communicative competence, according to Dell Hymes, is the ability to use language not only correctly based on linguistic competence but also appropriately based on sociocultural and strategic factors.

What are the four components of communicative competence as developed by Dell Hymes?

The four components of communicative competence are linguistic competence, sociolinguistic competence, discourse competence, and strategic competence.

What does linguistic competence encompass according to the script?

Linguistic competence encompasses the knowledge of the language code, including grammar, vocabulary, phonetics, and writing rules.

What is sociolinguistic competence?

Sociolinguistic competence is the knowledge of sociocultural rules of use within a language.

What is strategic competence?

Strategic competence is the ability to recognize and repair communication breakdowns before, during, or after they occur.

What is discourse competence?

Discourse competence is the knowledge of how to produce and comprehend oral or written texts, focusing on coherence and cohesion.

How did Canaly and Swain interpret communicative competence?

Canaly and Swain interpreted communicative competence as a synthesis of an underlying system of knowledge and skill needed for communication.

What did the Council of Europe do in relation to communicative competencies in 2001?

The Council of Europe developed in detail these communicative competencies to develop its Common European Frameworks of Language.