Competence and performance is an important pair of concepts in linguistics. Ever since their originality, they have aroused sufficient attention of the linguists. Many linguists have contributed a lot in their attempt...Competence and performance is an important pair of concepts in linguistics. Ever since their originality, they have aroused sufficient attention of the linguists. Many linguists have contributed a lot in their attempt to illustrate the concepts and clarification of them. A proper understanding of them can help the readers to gain more insight into the linguistics. What the linguist, Chomsky, originally meant by using competence and performance is somewhat different from what the current linguists mean by using them. The distance and distinction between competence and performance meant by Chomsky is also different from that meant by current linguists. That＇s to say there is some development of competence and performance since they were put forward. The shift is a gradual one, yet a very significant one. It reflects the linguists＇ effort to try to describe and categorize language learners＇ ability and their attempt to make use of them and measure them. This process actually narrows the distance and gap not only between theory and practice, but also between competence and performance. And at the same time, it reflects the linguists＇ frustration and confusion caused by the abstraction and complexity of them. By consulting the literature, the paper tries to follow their development step by step. The paper also points out some assumptions used by linguists when applying competence and performance. At the end of paper, it points out some implications to language teaching, which is important to language teachers and learners.展开更多
Inspired by Phil Benson＇s study on the relations between ethnocentrism and the China-related entries in the OED2, this paper attempts to further examine how the image of China, a so--called ＂peripheral object of Wes...Inspired by Phil Benson＇s study on the relations between ethnocentrism and the China-related entries in the OED2, this paper attempts to further examine how the image of China, a so--called ＂peripheral object of Western knowledge,＂ has been （ntis-） constructed in the dictionary, particularly its latest 2009 CD-ROM version, into which many laudable updates, including corrections and supplements, have been meticulously incorporated. It argues that （ 1 ） although British imperialism was a closed chapter, its vestiges can still be spotted in the dictionary text, not only in the quotations, which preserve historical information rather than reflect the editors＇ opinions, but also in the definitions and notes, which betray primarily the thoughts of these editors, （ 2 ） to an average user, the OED, with its legendary philological authority, is very likely to project ＂ historical objectivity＂ into some problematic contents and thus misleads an innocent and uninformed mind, and （3） if ethnocentrism is an unavoidable component in the OED1 and OED2, then the editorial team of the OED3 in the making would do well to introduce into their work an element of＂ ＂ entholocalism,＂ by which is meant the ideological neutrality as well as the technical accuracy of encyclopedic information about such important peripheral objects as China, the most populous country and a fast growing economy, in the world in which the English language against the backdrop of globalization has firmly established itself as the international lingua fianca without rival. So long as it is intended to remain a historical dictionary true to its name, the OED ought to push forward, in the form of new editions, with the times.展开更多
文摘Competence and performance is an important pair of concepts in linguistics. Ever since their originality, they have aroused sufficient attention of the linguists. Many linguists have contributed a lot in their attempt to illustrate the concepts and clarification of them. A proper understanding of them can help the readers to gain more insight into the linguistics. What the linguist, Chomsky, originally meant by using competence and performance is somewhat different from what the current linguists mean by using them. The distance and distinction between competence and performance meant by Chomsky is also different from that meant by current linguists. That＇s to say there is some development of competence and performance since they were put forward. The shift is a gradual one, yet a very significant one. It reflects the linguists＇ effort to try to describe and categorize language learners＇ ability and their attempt to make use of them and measure them. This process actually narrows the distance and gap not only between theory and practice, but also between competence and performance. And at the same time, it reflects the linguists＇ frustration and confusion caused by the abstraction and complexity of them. By consulting the literature, the paper tries to follow their development step by step. The paper also points out some assumptions used by linguists when applying competence and performance. At the end of paper, it points out some implications to language teaching, which is important to language teachers and learners.
文摘Inspired by Phil Benson＇s study on the relations between ethnocentrism and the China-related entries in the OED2, this paper attempts to further examine how the image of China, a so--called ＂peripheral object of Western knowledge,＂ has been （ntis-） constructed in the dictionary, particularly its latest 2009 CD-ROM version, into which many laudable updates, including corrections and supplements, have been meticulously incorporated. It argues that （ 1 ） although British imperialism was a closed chapter, its vestiges can still be spotted in the dictionary text, not only in the quotations, which preserve historical information rather than reflect the editors＇ opinions, but also in the definitions and notes, which betray primarily the thoughts of these editors, （ 2 ） to an average user, the OED, with its legendary philological authority, is very likely to project ＂ historical objectivity＂ into some problematic contents and thus misleads an innocent and uninformed mind, and （3） if ethnocentrism is an unavoidable component in the OED1 and OED2, then the editorial team of the OED3 in the making would do well to introduce into their work an element of＂ ＂ entholocalism,＂ by which is meant the ideological neutrality as well as the technical accuracy of encyclopedic information about such important peripheral objects as China, the most populous country and a fast growing economy, in the world in which the English language against the backdrop of globalization has firmly established itself as the international lingua fianca without rival. So long as it is intended to remain a historical dictionary true to its name, the OED ought to push forward, in the form of new editions, with the times.
