What is the model of language competence?

There isn't one single, universally accepted "model of language competence." Instead, there are various models, each focusing on different aspects of linguistic ability. The concept of "language competence" itself comes from Noam Chomsky's work, contrasting it with "language performance." Competence refers to the underlying knowledge a speaker has of their language, while performance is the actual use of that language in real-world situations, which is influenced by factors like memory limitations, fatigue, and social context.

Here are some influential perspectives and models that touch upon language competence:

* Chomsky's Generative Grammar: This is a foundational model emphasizing the innate, biologically endowed capacity for language acquisition. It posits an underlying system of rules (a "universal grammar") that allows humans to acquire and understand the complex structures of their native language. Competence, in this view, is the internalized knowledge of this grammar. Different generative frameworks have been proposed over the years, each refining and elaborating on this basic idea.

* Cognitive Linguistics: This approach emphasizes the role of cognition and experience in shaping language. Competence is seen not just as a set of abstract rules but as a network of interconnected concepts and schemas, influenced by our understanding of the world. This model often incorporates aspects of embodiment, metaphor, and conceptual blending.

* Functionalist Linguistics: This perspective focuses on the communicative functions of language. Competence is seen as the ability to use language effectively to achieve different communicative goals, considering the context and the interlocutors. This model emphasizes the social and pragmatic aspects of language use.

* Usage-based models: These models emphasize the role of experience and frequency in shaping linguistic knowledge. Competence is viewed as emerging from the repeated exposure to and processing of linguistic data. They highlight the importance of patterns and generalizations formed through exposure to language in use.

* Lexical Functional Grammar (LFG): This is a particular grammatical framework that focuses on the relationships between grammatical functions (like subject, object, etc.) and lexical information (from the lexicon or mental dictionary). Competence here involves knowledge of these mappings between function and form.

It's important to note that these models aren't mutually exclusive. Many contemporary linguists draw on aspects of several approaches to build a more comprehensive understanding of language competence. The best model to use depends on the specific research question or area of investigation. There's no single "correct" model because language competence is a multifaceted and complex phenomenon.