Second Language Acquisition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Second Language Acquisition - Essay Example This means that linguistic studies are extremely important as they investigate the matters are able to contribute to a better understanding of the human civilization. This paper will examine the differences between two notions: communicative competence on the one hand and linguistic competence on the other. Since the key to perceiving the differences between the above mentioned notions partially lies in the process of language acquisition, the paper will utilize three perspectives that were developed with regard to Second Language Acquisition, namely linguistic, psychological and social one in other to make the analysis objective as well as detailed. Each of the above mentioned perspectives will be analyzed in great detail and various frameworks within it will be used, such as Transformational-Generative Grammar and Universal Grammar, Functionalism and Neurolinguistics, Information Processing and Connectionism, individual differences of learners will also be utilized, together with m icrosocial and macrosial foci of the social perspective. To begin with, it would be particularly important to provide definitions of each of the concept so that the differences between then might become visible based on some fundamental aspect. Thus, it is suggested that communicative competence might be defined as â€Å"what a speaker needs to know to communicate appropriately within a particular language community† (Saville-Troike 2006, p. 100). As one can easily see, there are several key words in this definition. First of all, it includes a certain amount of skills and knowledge that is essential for acquiring communicative competence. Secondly, there is a word that defines the essential element of this notion – â€Å"appropriately†. In other words, a person might possess the above mentioned skills and knowledge, but their amount may not be sufficient in order to contribute to