On the definition of competence in linguistic inquiry

Abstract EN

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the status of the term "competence" in Chomsky's linguistic theory as well as in other theories.

An examination of a good number of Chomsky's linguistic works revealed that Chomsky used the term "competence" in different but inconsistent ways, sometimes.

The term was used to refer to system of rule, grammar, ability, I-Language........etc.

Eventually, this situation resulted in some conceptual obscurity.

Some linguists such as Hymens , Searle ,Holliday and the generative linguists have strongly criticized the term as used by Chomsky and suggested some important revisions of the term because the term as it stands is limited and extremely abstract and does not account for the communicative and functional purposes of language.