Download Pragmatics

Pragmatics
Willis/Pancamo
Pragmatics
• The study of language as produced in
social contexts.
• The aspect of social communication that
is served by all the other components of
language.
• Pragmatic skills are even observable in
babies an non-verbal children
– 4-6 weeks social smile emerges
Pragmatics
• Includes all the skills associated with
social interactions, including narration
and conversation
• Pragmatic skills are those that help
initiate or sustain conversation and
narration
Pragmatics
• Examples of Pragmatic Skills:
– Topic initiation
– Turn-taking
– Topic Maintenance
– Conversational Repair
– Social Appropriateness
– Narration
– Listener Appropriate speech
Pragmatics
• There are also non-verbal pragmatic
language skills which include physical,
emotional, and gestural aspects of
communication that supplement, expand
or even contradict what is said in words
– “body language”
Pragmatics
• Pragmatic skills are HEAVILY influenced by
cultural factors. Maintenance of eye
contact, physical distance between
speakers, and the amount and intensity
of gestures and facial expressions vary
across cultures.
Pragmatics
• Non-verbal Children
• Includes:
– Speech acts - Dore , 1975
– Communicative intents – Coggins & Carpenter
1978
Pragmatics
• Speech Acts – Dore 1975
– Labeling – uses word while attending to
object or event. Does not address adult or
wait for response
– Repeating – repeats all or part of prior adult
utterance. Does not wait for response
– Answering – answers adult’s question.
Addresses adult
Pragmatics
• Speech acts cont’d
– Requesting action – word or vocalization
often accompanied by gesture signaling
demand. Addresses adult and awaits
response.
– Requesting – asks question with a word,
sometimes accompanying gesture. Addresses
adult and awaits response.
– Calling – calls adult’s name loudly and awaits
response
Pragmatics
• Speech acts cont’d
– Greeting – greets adult or object upon its
appearance
– Protesting – resists adult’s action with word
or cry. Addresses adult
– Practicing – use of word or prosodic pattern
in absence of any specific object or event.
Does not address adult
Pragmatics
• Communicative intents – Coggins & Carpenter 1978
• Requesting
– Objects, actions, information
• Greeting
• Transferring – gestures intended to transfer an object to
another person’s possession
• Showing Off- to attract attention
• Acknowledging – gesture or utterance that provides
notice that the listener’s previous utterance were rec’d
• Answering – gesture or utterance from the child in
response to a request for information from the listener
Assessing Pragmatic Skills
• Communication Sample
– Respond to greetings
– Make requests
– Describe events
– Turn-taking
– Follow commands
– Eye contact
– Repeat
Assessment (cont’d.)
– Attend to tasks
– Maintain topic
– Repair topic
– Role play
– Sequence actions
– Define words
– Categorize
– Understand object functions
– Initiate activity or dialogue
Assessment (cont’d.)
• Observation During Play
– See Task-Specific Assessment Protocol for
Conversational Skills (on Moodle)