1.
language ability; linguistic competence; proficiency in understanding and using language
A person's capacity to understand, produce, and use language — whether their native language or a foreign one. The word is common in educational, psychological, medical (language development or impairment), and linguistic discussions; it also appears in job postings about required foreign-language skills.
Compound of 言語 (language) and 能力 (ability, capacity). It is a formal, somewhat academic word — more technical than the everyday expression "日本語が上手" (good at Japanese). It covers four classical skill areas — listening, speaking, reading, and writing — and is often used to discuss testing, child development, and brain function.
Common collocations
- 言語能力が高い: to have high language ability
- 言語能力を伸ばす: to build up one's language ability
- 言語能力を向上させる: to improve language ability
- 英語の言語能力: English language ability
- 言語能力の発達: the development of language ability
Similar words
- 語学力: foreign language ability — typically refers to learned foreign languages, not one's native language
- 国語力: Japanese language ability — used especially in education about a child's command of Japanese
- コミュニケーション能力: communication ability — broader, covers nonverbal skills too
- 言語運用能力: linguistic performance — a more technical term from linguistics, close to Chomsky's "performance"
Related Words
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語学力 (foreign language ability)
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国語力 (Japanese language ability)
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コミュニケーション能力 (communication ability)