Language proficiency refers to mastering the grammar of a language to generate an unlimited amount of statements, while communicative competence determines what is socially appropriate speech. Linguist Noam Chomsky developed the concept of language proficiency as part of his theory of universal grammar, which explains language as a natural ability. Language performance and communicative competence are related concepts. Chomsky’s theories sparked debate among linguists, but language proficiency remains an important aspect of language education.
Language proficiency is a term used by language experts and anthropologists to describe how language is defined within a community of speakers. This term applies to mastering the combination of sounds, syntax, and semantics known as a language’s grammar. People with this proficiency have learned to use the grammar of their spoken language to generate an unlimited amount of statements. This term is distinct from the concept of communicative competence, which determines what is socially appropriate speech.
This concept was first developed by linguist Noam Chomsky in the mid-1960s. Chomsky has developed several theories aimed at describing how language has been acquired and functioned within a culture. Language proficiency is part of a larger theory of linguistic behavior known as universal grammar, which explains language as a natural ability that children are born with and which is honed as they develop. This theory runs counter to the idea that language is strictly a learned behavior.
Chomsky’s theory of generative grammar contained several key concepts about language, including linguistic competence, speech performance, and communicative competence. Chomsky defined linguistic proficiency as an idealized understanding of the rules and construction of a given language. This includes the distinct sounds used in language, the combination of these sounds, the creation of sentences and the interpretation of a sentence. Once a speaker masters this set of rules, he can use this grammar to produce new sentences that will be understood by all speakers of the same language.
Language performance and communicative competence are concepts related to linguistic competence but are applied to language as it is actually used rather than as an ideal construct. Language performance is the practical application of speech with the grammatical flaws and errors that exist among real-world speakers. This allows speakers to understand each other despite grammatical defects and dialectal differences. Communicative competence refers to the rules governing the types of speech permitted within the cultural context.
Chomsky’s theories sparked debate among linguists and have continued to influence the debate around language acquisition and use. Some linguistic theorists view language proficiency as a learned behavior rather than an innate function of the human brain. Other researchers ignore Chomsky’s separate definitions of competence and performance and study language as a practical function of human behavior.
The concept of language proficiency remains an important aspect of language theory and language education. It is a subject touched upon by linguistics courses within the English curriculum and is covered extensively in Linguistic and Cultural Anthropology. Researchers and linguistic theorists continue to study and refine this concept through fieldwork and clinical investigation.
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