Mental grammar is the system of grammatical rules stored in the brain that allows speakers to produce and understand language. It's not something we consciously learn like the grammar rules in a textbook. Instead, it's an unconscious system that guides how we form sentences, use words, and understand meanings. According to ThoughtCo, it’s also referred to as competence grammar or linguistic competence.
Key Aspects of Mental Grammar
Here's a closer look at what constitutes mental grammar:
- Generative Capacity: It's generative, meaning it enables us to produce an infinite number of new sentences we've never heard before. This is because it contains rules for combining words in an almost limitless number of ways.
- Unconscious Knowledge: We don't consciously think about these rules when we speak; they are ingrained in our minds. This differs from performance which involves the actual speaking or writing and can be affected by factors like slips of the tongue or memory issues.
- Shared Understanding: Mental grammar ensures that the language a speaker produces is understandable to other speakers who have a similar system of rules. This is why we can communicate effectively.
- Not Directly Taught: We don't explicitly learn the vast majority of our mental grammar in a classroom. Children are known to "invent" language that adults would never use, for example, "I goed to the park". This provides a clue that the grammar is innate.
- Abstract Rules: These are abstract rules for structuring words, phrases, and sentences, that work across different contexts and apply in a consistent way.
Mental Grammar vs. Prescriptive Grammar
It's crucial to distinguish between mental grammar and prescriptive grammar:
| Feature | Mental Grammar | Prescriptive Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Unconscious, innate system | Conscious, taught system |
| Purpose | Enables linguistic competence and fluent, natural-sounding communication | Enforces "correct" ways of speaking or writing, often based on tradition or social status |
| Flexibility | Changes and varies across communities and individuals | Rigid and doesn’t consider regional variations |
| How it is acquired | Learned implicitly through exposure to language | Learned explicitly through formal teaching |
| Example | Rules that guide how we form plural nouns or conjugate verbs, without conscious thought | Rules like "don't end a sentence with a preposition" or "use whom instead of who", often taught in school |
Understanding Linguistic Competence
Linguistic competence is the internal and implicit knowledge of the rules of language and forms the basis of mental grammar. It's the reason why native speakers can immediately identify grammatically incorrect sentences, even if they don't know the exact grammar rules that were violated.
How it Works
Imagine a child who has never been taught the rule that adjectives usually come before nouns in English. Yet, they will almost always say "a big dog" rather than "a dog big". This shows that the abstract rules are internalized.
Implications
Understanding mental grammar has important implications for the study of linguistics:
- It helps linguists model how the brain stores and processes language.
- It informs how language is learned and acquired.
- It shapes our approach to language teaching.
In summary, mental grammar is the unseen, yet fundamental system that underpins our ability to use language effectively and is synonymous with the terms competence grammar and linguistic competence. It goes beyond memorizing words and instead provides the rules we use to communicate with others.
