The generativist conception of linguistic competence and its idealisa tion of a homogeneous speech community must be overcome if analyses of individual differences in language and communication are to receive the attention they merit. Development of a qualitative, multiple competencies conception of linguistic and communicative abilities offers promise of transcending the limita tions of the generativist approach while maintaining its concern with fundamental form-meaning covariations in language usage. Within such an expanded concep tion of competence, an interpretive-contextual social psychology can make im portant contributions to our understanding of individual differences in communi cative action.
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