PART ONE
Part One, comprising Chapters One and Two, examines some of the crucial theoretical and metatheoretical issues that distinguish Cognitive Linguistics (as I understand that term) from the more established and better-known Autonomist schools.
Chapter One has two main themes: the so-called Competence-Performance Distinction (CPD); and the methodology which derives data from intuitions as to grammaticality or acceptability.
The main aim of Chapter One is to bring maximum clarity to the discussion of these fundamental issues. In addition to this main aim, specific proposals are made as to the stance that the evolving school of Cognitive Linguistics should take on these issues.
As the term "Cognitive" implies, the crucial distinction between Cognitive Linguistics and Autonomist Linguistics has to do with the relationship between Linguistics and Cognitive Psychology.
This issue figures prominently in both parts of Chapter One, i.e. both in relation to the Competence-Performance Distinction, and in respect of what data Linguistics should be concerning itself with, and what methodology should be used to gather that data.
Chapter Two homes in on specific issues in the Psycholinguistic literature, and discusses how a Cognitive Linguistics approach to these issues might differ from the established Autonomist Linguistic one.