Question

How does performance help in understanding competence?

• A. It replaces the need for grammar rules
• B. It contradicts competence
• C. It reflects the competence, though imperfectly
• D. It shows only the social side of language

Answer 1

Answer:

C. It reflects the competence, though imperfectly

By observing performance, researchers can infer the rules and knowledge a speaker has (competence), even if real-life language use includes errors and hesitations.