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TYPE
Original Research
PAGE NO.
51-58
DOI
OPEN ACCESS
SUBMITED
18 February 2025
ACCEPTED
16 March 2025
PUBLISHED
17 April 2025
VOLUME
Vol.05 7ssue04 2025
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 Original content from this work may be used under the terms
of the creative commons attributes 4.0 License.
The Concept of
Grammatical Competence
and Its Essence
Turakulova Lola Xamidjanovna
English teacher at Specialized School No. 300, Sergeli District, Uzbekistan
Abstract:
This article highlights the role of grammatical
competence in the development of language
competencies among learners within the methodology
of teaching foreign languages. It also analyzes students’
ability to use language correctly, logically, and
precisely
—
that is, their skill in understanding grammar
rules and constructing expressions based on them. The
aspects of developing grammatical competence are
examined. The main methods of enhancing grammatical
competence, as well as the difference between
grammatical competence and grammatical knowledge,
are explained.
Keywords:
Grammatical
competence,
cognitive
grammar, mental grammar, stages of teaching foreign
language grammar, grammatical knowledge.
Introduction:
In the methodology of teaching foreign
languages, special attention is given to studying the
development of learners' language competencies.
Grammatical competence is understood as the
knowledge of grammatical elements of a language and
the ability to use them in speech. While defining the
concept of "grammatical competence," various research
findings, viewpoints, and approaches were reviewed.
The term "grammatical competence" had evolved
before it was integrated into the linguistic discourse. It
encompasses the ability to comprehend and convey
specific meanings through phrases and sentences
constructe
d according to language rules. Students’
grammatical competence refers to their ability to apply
the language correctly, logically, and precisely
—
that is,
their proficiency in understanding grammar rules and
using them to form expressions. Grammatical
comp
etence plays a crucial role in learners’ effective
language acquisition. Its development enhances their
overall language proficiency and ability to comprehend
and express speech.
METHODS
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The following aspects are essential in developing
grammatical competence:
1.
Knowledge of grammar rules: Students must
have a clear understanding of the morphology (word
formation) and syntax (sentence construction) of the
language. These rules enable them to construct
accurate and precise sentences.
2.
Structure and meaning: Grammar rules help
students properly grasp the structure and meaning of
the language. They provide insight into how words and
sentence components are interconnected.
3.
Practical application of competence: It is vital
for students to apply grammar rules in practice
—
i.e.,
to express themselves correctly in writing and
speaking. This can be facilitated through grammar
exercises, storytelling, lectures, and conversations.
4.
Grammatical competence in a foreign
language: When students are learning another
language, grammatical competence determines the
level of language acquisition. For example, for learners
of English, grammar rules are distinct and specific.
Improving grammatical competence strengthens
students’ written and oral communication skills,
allowing them to express their thoughts clearly and
understandably while reducing
speech errors.
Moreover, grammatical competence is a core
component of overall language competence and plays a
crucial role in all language learning processes.
Research Results. Based on the analysis of scientific
literature, the following conclusions can be drawn [7]:
Grammatical competence is a complex phenomenon
that has gone through several stages of development.
Grammatical competence is a pressing issue in foreign
language teaching theory and requires the development
of new teaching methods.
This term is closely related to communicative and
linguistic competence and is an integral part of them.
Grammatical competence requires detailed study to
define it more precisely (see Table 1).
Table 1.
Researchers’ Approaches
No. Researchers
Researchers’ Opinions
1.
D. Hymes
Identified grammatical competence as one of the four
components of communicative competence.
2.
S. Savignon
Understood as the ability to recognize the lexical,
morphological, syntactic, and phonological features of a
language.
3.
L. Bimm
The ability to generate an infinite number of linguistically
correct sentences.
4.
V.I.
Chernitsky
The ability to appropriately use grammatical knowledge,
skills, and abilities in a foreign language to effectively
perform speech actions in communication.
5.
L. Karpova
A set of principles governing the integration of lexical
elements into meaningful phrases and sentences through the
use of grammatical tools.
6.
E. Azimova
The ability to use grammatical elements of a language
during communication.
7.
Ye.
Oleynnikova
The use of grammatical tools necessary for speech
communication.
8.
N. Kaftaylova
The ability to use grammatical tools of the language and a
set of methods and principles for integrating lexical
elements into meaningful expressions and sentences.
What is learners' grammatical competence?
Could it be a kind of program that enables students to
construct grammatically correct sentences according
to the “commands” of an instructor, like programmed
robots? Or is it the continuous functioning of a neural
network in the brain, connected by bioelectrical links
that emerge during interaction? Or perhaps it is a
unique grammatical worldview in which a person,
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immersed in real-life experience, reflects meaning as in
a mirror?
The cognitive model of learners’ grammatical
competence is based on two opposing perspectives,
which require comparison: the “cognitive” grammar of
R.
Langacker and the “mental” grammar of N.
Chomsky. According to the American linguist N.
Chomsky, mental grammar is an innate mechanism of
the brain, while R. Langacker claims that cognitive
grammar is the linguistic continuation of how reality is
perceived [9].
As an academic subject, a foreign language, beyond its
primary functions, also serves several additional
purposes, including the development of personal
qualities such as creativity and logic. It is important not
to forget that the main goal of foreign language
teaching is to develop communicative competence in
the target language
—
something that cannot be
achieved without grammatical competence. The role
of grammar in a foreign language includes not only the
use of grammatically correct expressions and
sentences, but also mastery of the rules for word
formation, sentence construction, and the ability to
use the language independently. If we refer to
grammar from a formal perspective, the term can be
defined as a system of rules that enables the
generation of orderly chains of linguistic elements [5].
Grammatical competence refers to the ability to use a
language correctly and accurately. It is directly linked
to students’ knowledge of grammar rules and their
ability to apply them in various contexts. The main
ways to develop grammatical competence include:
1.
Learning grammar rules
.
Students must study the core principles of morphology
and syntax. This includes understanding parts of
speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, etc.)
and their functions within a sentence. Complex
grammar rules, such as tenses (past and future),
passive voice, comparisons, and others, should also be
covered.
2.
Performing practical exercises.
Completing various grammar tasks helps students
consolidate their understanding of the rules. For
example, exercises on verb tenses, correct use of parts
of speech, and their syntactic connections. Fill-in-the-
blank exercises help students apply grammar
structures correctly.
3.
Written practice.
Encouraging students to write letters, essays, and
stories regularly helps improve their ability to
construct words and sentences according to grammar
rules. Reviewing and editing written texts for
grammatical errors allows students to recognize and
correct their mistakes, especially with feedback from
teachers or peers.
4.
Reading and listening.
Reading English texts (books, articles, news) helps
students understand how grammatical structures are
used in context. Encountering complex sentences and
constructions allows for a deeper grasp of grammar.
Listening to English podcasts, films, or conversations
also aids in understanding how grammar is applied in
real speech.
5.
Speaking practice.
Regular spoken communication in English helps
students develop natural and intuitive use of grammar.
It is important to focus on grammatical correctness
when expressing ideas. Role-play or grammar-based
games involving various structures reinforce practical
understanding.
6.
Using grammar tools.
Grammar-checking applications and tools, such as
Grammarly or Ginger, help detect and correct grammar
mistakes. Interactive apps like Duolingo, Babbel, or
Memrise offer practical exercises to make grammar
learning more engaging and effective. These tools allow
students to easily explore various aspects of grammar.
7.
Clarifying grammar concepts.
When English is being learned as a second language,
special attention must be given to grammar. Every
language has its own unique grammatical system, so it
is recommended that students compare the grammar of
the foreign language with that of their native language.
At the speech stage, learners further develop their
grammatical language and speech skills. The
construction of the speech component of grammatical
competence is selected in a way that allows learners to
comprehend and master grammatical material by
considering their individual and cognitive learning
styles. The corresponding tests may include the
following tasks: Fill in the blanks in the sentences using
the correct grammatical forms. Replace errors in the
text with appropriate grammatical forms based on the
meaning of the grammar phenomenon being tested.
Insert the correct grammatical forms into phrases,
proverbs, or poems. Restore missing grammatical
elements in the text (with or without the number of
blanks specified). Identify and correct grammatical
errors in the text (with or without the number of errors
indicated). Compose a story on a given topic using the
grammar rules studied. Compose a story using the given
grammatical words in any (or fixed) sequence. Using the
suggested formulas, select the correct words and
reconstruct the rule for applying the grammatical
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phenomenon. Follow the specified instructions [5].
Grammatical competence includes knowledge of
grammar rules, grammatical skills, and the ability to
comprehend and express specific meanings. It is
formed through expressions and sentences that
conform to the rules of the language [3].
As seen above, none of the definitions fully reflect the
essence of grammatical competence as a key
component of linguistic competence; rather, they
interpret its structure and content in various ways. To
define grammatical competence precisely and
comprehensively, it is necessary to determine what
students must learn in terms of the grammatical aspect
of speech in a foreign language, as well as to identify
what constitutes the content of teaching grammar in
speech.
According to A.N. Shamova, the content of teaching
the grammatical aspect of foreign language speech
involves
three
key
components:
linguistic,
psychological, and methodological. Let us briefly
review each of them:
The linguistic component includes a grammatical
minimum
—
a defined set of grammatical phenomena
(grammatical forms, structures, rules of word
formation and sentence construction), intended for
accurate speech design from morphological and
syntactic perspectives. It also contains a list of
differentiating features, which describe the sequential
functioning of a grammatical phenomenon in oral and
written communication.
The psychological component comprises productive
and receptive grammatical skills, which
—
together with
phonetic and lexical skills
—
form the foundation for the
ability to carry out speech activities in a foreign
language.
The
methodological
component
ensures
the
development of students’ independent work skills and
their ability to interact with peers while working with
grammatical material [10].
When studying grammar, it is necessary to consider the
connection between the grammar and culture of the
country where the target language is spoken. These
elements shape the worldview of native speakers from
a different linguistic and cultural background [2].
In defining grammatical competence, researchers
emphasize learners' ability to correctly comprehend
grammar and apply it in meaningful foreign language
communication. It encompasses grammar knowledge,
grammar skills, and strategies for working with them, all
based on learners' speech activity and their language
acquisition process [6].
R.P. Milrud presents grammatical competence as a
model, defining its cognitive structure as the
psycholinguistic mechanism of “thought
-
proposition”
expressed through verbal abstraction, organization, and
repeatable transformation within communicative and
cognitive activity. In constructing this grammatical
model, Milrud draws from cognitive psychology and
linguistics, identifying the following components:
grammatical
concepts,
grammatical
examples,
grammatical categories, grammatical prototypes,
grammatical
frames,
grammatical
scenarios,
grammatical schemas, grammatical creativity [1].
At every stage of foreign language grammar instruction,
a combination of approaches and methods is applied.
There are many classifications of grammar teaching
methods,
including:
grammar-translation,
text-
translation, direct method, audio-lingual method,
audio-visual method, and others.
The effectiveness of foreign language grammar teaching
is achieved by combining these methods and
approaches in accordance with the recommended
stages of instruction [8] (see Table 2).
Table 2.
Stages of Teaching Foreign Language Grammar
Stages
Approaches
Methods
Stage 1
Conceptual
Direct method
Audio-lingual method
Audiovisual method
Stage 2
Cognitive
Grammar-translation method
Text-translation method
Stage 3
Cognitive-communicative
Natural method
Conscious-practical method
Grammatical
competence
is
understood
by
researchers as the level of knowledge of the basic
language code, which includes the linguistically correct
formation of grammatical rules, vocabulary, word
formation, and sentence structure. Grammatical
competence includes both productive and receptive
grammatical skills [12].
The methodology for the formation of grammatical
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competence in a foreign language, taking into account
didactic principles, utilized the following principles:
1)
the principle of a communicative approach to
the selection, organization, and presentation of
materials;
2)
the principle of considering the cognitive
processes of material assimilation;
3)
the principle of functionality of phenomena in
speech, utterance, and the language system;
4)
the principle of organizing grammatical
material structurally and thematically by using a
speech sample as a learning unit and connecting
“grammatical” and “communicative” topics in the
lesson;
5)
the principle of situationality, which includes
demonstrating
grammatical phenomena in
a
communicative situation and their impact in
conditional speech and speech situation exercises;
6)
the principle of a differentiated approach to
teaching grammar;
7)
the principle of considering interlingual
interference [4].
Grammatical competence generally implies the
knowledge of grammatical means and the ability to use
them adequately in speech. It includes the following:
knowledge of grammar rules that help to transform
lexical units into meaningful statements;
the ability to perceive and produce utterances
developed in accordance with the rules of the foreign
language;
skills in using grammatical phenomena in speech in
accordance with the communicative task and situation
[11].
Understanding the difference between grammatical
competence and grammatical knowledge is very
important in the process of teaching and learning a
language. The main difference between these two
concepts is that grammatical knowledge refers to the
understanding and knowledge of grammatical rules and
structures, while grammatical competence is the ability
to apply this knowledge effectively and correctly in the
language (see Table 3).
Table 3.
Differences between Grammatical Competence and Grammatical Knowledge
Differences
Grammatical Knowledge
Grammatical Competence
Definitions
A collection of information
about the grammar of a
language. It includes rules,
structures, parts of speech, and
syntax.
The ability to actively and
effectively apply grammatical
knowledge. It includes the practical
aspect of language and implies
using learned grammar in real-life
communication contexts.
Components
- Parts of speech: noun, verb,
adjective, numeral, pronoun,
etc.
- Basic grammar rules: tenses,
suffixes, verb forms, correct
word order.
- Sentence structures: simple
and complex sentence
constructions.
- Theoretical grammatical
concepts: e.g., “past tense of
the verb,” “plural forms.”
- Correct use of grammar: the
learner knows how to correctly and
effectively apply grammar rules in
speaking and writing.
- Error correction: the learner can
identify and fix grammatical
mistakes in their own speech.
- Applying grammar in context:
proper use of grammar in various
communicative and writing
situations.
- Coherent speech: the learner
expresses their thoughts clearly,
understandably, and effectively
using grammar.
Practical Application
This is theoretical knowledge –
understanding grammar rules,
structures, and patterns. It
allows learners to understand
This is the ability to apply that
knowledge effectively and correctly
in real-life communication or
writing. It reflects the learner’s
ability to use grammar practically.
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how grammar works in the
language.
Examples
The learner studies the past
tense of verbs and knows
examples like “I read,” “he
left.”
The learner uses the past tense
correctly in real conversation or
writing. For instance, when
describing yesterday's activities,
they say: “I read a book” or “He
didn’t go to school.”
Grammatical knowledge and grammatical competence
complement each other. Grammatical knowledge
provides the theoretical foundations, but grammatical
competence is necessary to ensure the practical use of
grammar. When a learner understands the connection
between learning grammar and using it in practice,
their overall language competence becomes stronger.
Grammatical knowledge is a collection of rules and
structures, while grammatical competence is the
ability to apply this knowledge accurately and
effectively in real-life situations. Both are important in
language learning, but grammatical competence plays
the main role in using the language correctly and
successfully.
Grammatical competence is essential for developing
learners’ ability to use language correctly and
effectively, and its formation and development go
through several stages. Although the concepts of
formation and development are closely related, there
are some differences between them.
Formation of grammatical competence
is the initial
stage in which learners begin to acquire grammatical
knowledge. At this stage, learners are introduced to
grammar rules for the first time. During this process,
learners gain theoretical knowledge of grammar and
learn to apply it in simple practice.
As the initial stage, formation includes learners'
understanding of grammar rules and structures. For
example, constructing correct sentences, identifying
parts of speech, and recognizing tenses. In acquiring
theoretical foundations, the learner gains knowledge
about verb tenses, parts of speech, and syntactic
structures. At this stage, the learner begins to apply
grammar rules using simple and short texts. The main
purpose of formation is to build a foundation of
grammatical knowledge and introduce the learner to
the language system. For example, a beginner student
may form sentences
like “I read” or “He walked,” thus
forming basic grammatical knowledge.
Development of grammatical competence
, on the
other hand, is the process of deepening and expanding
the grammatical knowledge already formed. At this
stage, the learner further develops their grammar
skills, understands more complex structures, and learns
to apply them correctly and effectively in practice.
During the development stage, the learner applies their
knowledge more frequently and uses grammar rules
more widely across various contexts.
As an advanced stage, development involves the learner
using previously acquired grammatical knowledge in
more complex texts, exercises, and language situations.
Practical application is improved; learners start using
grammar in real-life speech and written tasks. In
learning complex structures, the learner practices
forming compound and complex sentences, using
various verb tenses and forms. The main purpose of
development is to enhance the learner’s grammatical
competence and prepare them to use grammar
accurately and effectively in different contexts. At this
stage, the learner is able to apply grammar rules
correctly and proficiently in various complex sentences
and communicative situations. For example, the learner
might produce sentences li
ke “If I had studied, I would
have finished the book.”
There are differences between the formation and
development of grammatical competence (see Table 4).
Table 4.
Differences Between the Formation and Development of Grammatical Competence
Aspects
Formation
Development
Stage
Initial (newly acquired)
Advanced (i.e., deepened and
expanded)
Grammatical
Knowledge
Basic grammar rules (parts
of speech, simple sentences)
Application of complex grammar
structures (compound and complex
sentences, tenses)
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Objective
To acquire grammatical
knowledge and establish the
foundations
To further improve and effectively
apply grammatical knowledge
Practical Application
Simple texts and short
sentences
Complex texts, extended speech,
written tasks
Theoretical and
Practical Approach
Acquiring theoretical
knowledge
Applying language correctly and
effectively in practice
Grammatical
Structures
Simple structures, basic
tenses, parts of speech
Complex structures, verb forms
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the formation of grammatical
competence is the initial stage of mastering
grammatical knowledge, during which the learner
studies the basic rules and structures of the language.
The development of grammatical competence, on the
other hand, is the process of deepening and expanding
this knowledge, as well as enhancing the ability to use
it effectively in more complex contexts and situations.
The formation and development of grammatical
competence are two complementary stages aimed at
helping learners successfully apply their grammatical
knowledge in practice. Together, they form a solid
foundation for the language learning process.
The development of grammatical competence is a
continuous process that teaches learners to
understand and correctly apply grammar rules. The
practical use of writing, reading, listening, and
speaking, along with the integration of technological
tools and resources, facilitates and enhances the
effectiveness of this process.
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Понятие «грамматический навык» в методике
обучении иностранному языку
