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.
彼は言語能力が高い。
He has strong language ability.
子どもの言語能力は読書で伸びる。
Children's language ability grows through reading.
留学を通じて、彼女の英語の言語能力は大きく向上した。
Through studying abroad, her English language ability improved significantly.
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|こみゅにけーしょんのうりょく}: 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"