Compare Saussure's Distinction Between Langue and Parole with Chomsky’s Distinction Between Competence and Performance. What Are the Differences Between Them?

Before we discuss and do the research on the related theory, I think we should first make clear what we are going to learn. Let me begin with a brief introduction of Saussure.

Ferdinand de Saussure was a Swiss linguist and semiotician whose ideas laid a foundation for many significant developments both in linguistics and semiology in the 20th century. He was the pivotal figure in the transition from the 19th to 20th century, and is generally considered the founder of modern linguistics. By age 15, he had learned Greek, French, German, English and Latin. Saussure distinguished the linguistics competence of the speaker and the actual phenomena or data of linguistics as langue and parole. The difference between langue and parole: First of all, langue is a cover term, and it is an abstract system of symbols, which is shared by all members of a society. It servers for all the people no matter which social hierarchy they are in. However, parole is personal and individual. Thus, a great number of personal features can be detected from his words: sex, age, intelligence, cultural literacy and so on.

Secondly, langue is abstract while parole is concrete. Getting rid of all the individual differences, langue encompasses all the common characters of linguistic phenomena. Parole, nevertheless, is the outer expression of one's linguistic competence.

Thirdly, langue is finite, yet, parole is infinite. No two pieces of discourse in this world are completely the same, but no one can exchange ideas with others if he violates the common language rules. In addition, it is impossible for us to calculate the sentences people say all along their life.

At last, langue is relatively stable than parole since it is regulations and requirements set through conventions for people to communicate smoothly.

Then we go to find Chomsky.

Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist. Sometimes described as the "father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy....