Language Knowledge: Understanding 'Knowing About Language'

The question asks to identify the specific term that refers to 'Knowing about language'. This concept involves having explicit awareness and understanding of the various rules, structures, components, and facts that constitute a language system.

Knowledge Types: Analyzing Language Options

Strategic Competence

Strategic competence refers to the ability to effectively use communication strategies to convey messages, navigate communication challenges, and manage interactions. It emphasizes the practical skills and flexibility in language use, rather than simply knowing facts about the language.

Declarative Knowledge

Declarative knowledge is defined as 'knowing that'. It encompasses facts, concepts, rules, and principles related to a subject. Within the context of language, this includes understanding grammatical rules, knowing vocabulary definitions, correct spelling, and the overall structure or history of the language. This definition closely matches the idea of 'knowing about language'.

Procedural Knowledge

Procedural knowledge is characterized as 'knowing how'. It involves the skills and procedures needed to perform tasks, often applied implicitly or automatically. For language, this translates to fluent speaking, accurate writing, or effortless comprehension of spoken language – essentially, the performance of the language itself.

Grammatical Knowledge

Grammatical knowledge focuses specifically on the rules governing sentence structure and syntax. While it is an essential component of understanding a language, 'knowing about language' is a broader concept. Declarative knowledge encompasses grammatical knowledge but also includes other elements like vocabulary, semantics, and pragmatics, making it a more comprehensive term.

Declarative Knowledge: The Best Fit for Knowing About Language

Considering the definitions, 'Declarative knowledge' is the most appropriate term for 'Knowing about language'. It accurately represents the understanding of language as a system, including its factual components like grammar, vocabulary, and structure.