Grammatical Knowledge Models Overview

Grammatical Knowledge - Lado (1961)

• Lado's model viewed language ability as interlinked but distinct dimensions: phonology, structure, and lexicon.
• Lado focused on the elements of language, and not their use in context.
• Assessment was a discrete-point approach, focusing on individual components rather than integration.
• Grammatical knowledge centered solely on morphosyntactic form.

Grammatical Knowledge - Carroll (1968)

• Carroll expanded on Lado's model, incorporating semantic components of grammar alongside the morphosyntax.
• Carroll's approach included the lexical component, with semantic and grammatical aspects.
• Tests should predict language use in real-life situations.
• Assessments were discrete-point but integrated with real-life task performance.

Grammatical Knowledge - Oller (1979)

• Rejected element-and-skill approach; focused on pragmatic expectancy grammar
• Learners relate linguistic elements to contextual meaning, reflecting cultural norms and expectations.
• Information for gaps is predicted based on expectancy.
• Linguistic form, semantic meaning, and pragmatic use are considered in performance.
• Grammatical knowledge integrated with form and meaning, including suprasentential and discourse levels.
• This was the first attempt to integrate linguistic form and pragmatic use of language in context.

Competence and Performance (Chomsky)

• Competence: Linguistic knowledge (sounds, combination, words, structure, meaning, use).
• Performance: Actual use of language in a specific situation.
• Chomsky emphasized linguistic rather than sociocultural factors in competence.

Communicative Competence

• Lado and Carroll focused on language skills and their components (listening, speaking, reading, writing), lexicon, grammar and phonology.
• Hymes highlighted sociocultural and sociolinguistic aspects.
• Communicative competence involves using language appropriately in different social and communicative contexts.
• Normal children learn grammar in the social context as well.

Communicative Competence (Canale and Swain)

• four components: Linguistic, sociolinguistic, discourse, strategic
• Linguistic: Knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and conventions.
• Sociolinguistic: Knowledge of sociocultural rules for appropriate language use in different contexts.
• Discourse: Ability to use language to create cohesive and coherent spoken or written texts.
• Strategic: Recognition and repair of communication breakdowns.

Grammatical Competence (Bachman)

• This includes knowledge of vocabulary, syntax, morphology, and phonology/graphology.
• There is textual competence in constructing text understanding the conventions.
• Illocutionary competence uses language to convey different kinds of meaning.
• There is sociolinguistic competence in using language appropriately for different persons or contexts.

Strategic Competence

• The ability to plan, execute, and assess communication strategies, including adjustments in communication.
• Grammar ability incorporates knowledge of the structure, form, and the different contexts.

Explore the key theories of grammatical knowledge proposed by Lado, Carroll, and Oller. This quiz highlights the distinctions in their approaches to language assessment and the integration of semantics and pragmatics. Test your understanding of these influential models in linguistic theory.