Transcript 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)