Defining “competence”

In my understanding, “competent” is what we can say about the person who has deep knowledge and a high level of proficiency in a certain field. If someone is competent in a language, I would say, this person feels free in using both spoken and written languages, understands little nuances of the language and idiomatic expressions, and also, thinks in this language.

The Online Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives us a definition of “competent” as “proper or rightly” or “having requisite or adequate ability or qualities”. For English-language learners it explains “competent” as “having the necessary ability or skills: able to do something well or well enough to meet a standard”.

Based on the assigned readings, I can say that the term “language competence” is inseparably connected to the “language proficiency”.  Language competence it is the ability and appropriate skills that are necessary for communication and acting in real life settings.