Linguistic Knowledge & Performance
Linguistic Competence- knowledge of a language represented by the mental grammar that accounts for speakers’ linguistic ability and creativity. For the most part linguistic competence is unconscious knowledge.
Linguistic Performance- The use of linguistic competence in the production and comprehension of language; behavior as distinguished from linguistic know; e.g. linguistic competence permits one-million word sentence, but linguistic performance prevents this from happening.
Linguistic Performance- The use of linguistic competence in the production and comprehension of language; behavior as distinguished from linguistic know; e.g. linguistic competence permits one-million word sentence, but linguistic performance prevents this from happening.
- There is a difference between having the knowledge to produce sentences and applying this knowledge. What we know is linguistic competence. How we use this knowledge is linguistic performance.
- Linguistic knowledge is unconscious knowledge and is acquired with no conscious awareness.
- Every person has the competence to produce sentences and understand sentences.
- When producing our speech we speak to convey a message. Therefore, we have to organize our thoughts before we speak.