First Assignment Developed
1. Competence in an L2 classroom
a. This is evident for example when students know the right pronunciation of the
possessive “their”, the right order of adjectives, the right pronunciation of the
simple past of regular verbs or the right use of the future forms will, be going
to and shall, among others.
Competence enable speaker recognizes syntactic misspelling sentences, such
as:
- Yesterday Margarita in a luxuries shop bought a fancy dress.
Where the syntax would be:
- Margarita bought a fancy dress in a luxuries shop yesterday.
b. Performance can’t constitute matter of linguistics due to language
performance is a natural process that has to do with attention, memory,
emotions, distractions, interests and social interaction where speech errors
can occur. For example, if we hear that an English native speaker says: “We
maked dinner for our guests last meeting”. Sure, the use of the verb make
as a regular verb is an accidentally situation and not a constantly one.
2. What does this sentence mean?
It means that when he/she is in an actual scenario where he/she produces
his communication he/she has the chance to acquire competence.
3. Second Criticism and Functional Dimension
According to Halliday the learning of a language is a learning process
where there are grammar mirrors (social interaction and grammar usage)
and the mastering of grammar is through experience. Language and mind
obey the same laws as all other aspects of reality. Grammar is a resource
for creating meaning by means of wording. This way grammar is seen
from a resource perspective where language is interpreted as networks of
interlocking options. Here “can mean” becomes a “can do” due to the
mirror the subject has in his/her social interaction where communication
networks give him/her the enough tools to dare to say what he knows
about a particular situation.
4. Language, unit of linguistic analysis
Language is a unit of linguistic analysis because linguistics studies
intrinsic and extrinsic aspects of human communication: rules for a right
communication and social interaction where individuals expose their
communication intentions.
5. What does Chomsky say opposite to the affirmations on the left? (1Pt)
Langacker, Heine , Tomasello and Chomsky
Jackendoff
language is not an autonomous language is an autonomous,
cognitive faculty separated from non-linguistic
cognitive abilities.
Grammar is an innate faculty
grammar is conceptualization
knowledge of language Knowledge of language must be
emerges from language use a conscious process.
6. What are the schematic constructs? (1Pt)
Schematic constructs is mental representation of knowledge. Schematic
constructs have a wide range of categories covering factual knowledge to abstract
perceptional categories. Communication between two people requires language
code (systemic) and schematic knowledge structures.
7. In 1980 Canale and Swain provided a description of competence based on
four categories. What are those categories? Explain. (1Pt)
1. Grammatical Competence. (Rules and words). Knowing how to use the
grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of a language.
2. Sociolinguistic Competence (Appropriateness). Knowing how to use and
respond to language appropriately, given the setting, the topic, and the
relationships among the people communicating.
3. Discourse Competence (Cohesion and coherence). Knowing how to
interpret the larger context and how to construct longer stretches of language
so that the parts make up a coherent whole.
4. Strategic Competence (appropriate use of communicative strategies).
Knowing how to recognize and repair communication breakdowns, how to work
around gaps in one’s knowledge of the language, and how to learn more about
the language and in the context.
8. After reading all the competences described in the CEFR what do you think
CEFR perception about competence and performance? Is it more related to
social or individual? Is it more linguistic? Or not? (1Pt)
If we are talking about linguistic, grammatical, lexical, phonological, orthographic,
pragmatic, sociolinguistic, functional and discourse competences where the
speaker has to show his/her knowledge and abilities to use the syntax, vocabulary,
grammar rules, phonemes, spelling of words and right use of language in society,
I would think of it is more individual than social and of course it is more linguistic.
9. Write your own conclusions about competence and performance and how
these two terms affect the SLA? (2Pts.)
Without a shadow of doubt, from Chomsky’s view people need a command of language
rules to be competent in language communication. Elements such as: distractions,
memory, emotions and interests are natural factors that affect each individual through
their own social experience.
