Pragmatic Development Lecture Six Pragmatic Development

Pragmatics … Pragmatics = the part played by language in social situations and relationships. Del Hymes: ‘communicative competence’ When to speak How to respond to others Appropriate registers

Language functions … Bottom line: children are motivated to acquire language because it serves certain purposes/functions for them. Halliday (1975): seven functions …

Halliday’s taxonomy … INSTRUMENTAL REGULATORY INTERACTIONAL PERSONAL HEURISTIC IMAGINATIVE REPRESENTATIONAL

Be careful … ! As with other elements of language acquisition, remember that pragmatic development begins before a child starts to speak.

Early years … Children are introduced to important role of language in everyday life. Adults speak to them a great deal. Routine events are accompanied by regularly repeated utterances.

Conversation preparation … Child-parent/carer interactions prepare the child for later participation in conversation.

Bancroft (1996) … ‘Peek-a-boo’ parallels: Turn-taking Response Common purpose and understand the sequence Pleasure

Other interactions … Despite the fact that the child has not yet begun to speak, adults will: Ask questions Express agreement Give approving/disapproving responses

First conversations … First utterances: statements (rather than questions) and not always directed at anyone! Child will often seem to ignore other speaker.

First conversations … Typical conversation: Initiated by adult Dependent on continued adult input to progress

Later development … Age 2-4: significant development in conversational skills: Turn taking Response to questions Greetings Politeness forms

Speech Convergence and Accommodation Theory Yousef (1991) Group of children in Trinidad Children responded to different social situations by using different varieties of English

Speech Convergence and Accommodation Theory Janet (3, 9): Past tense verb forms: Conversation with mother: 100% SE Family helper (a Trinidadian English speaker): decreasing amounts Brother/same age children: decreasing amounts

After starting school … Children develop increased sensitivity to the needs of their listener. Greater understanding of language more appropriate to formal situations (register).

Vocabulary test … COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE LANGUAGE FUNCTION INSTRUMENTAL REGULATORY INTERACTIONAL PERSONAL HEURISTIC IMAGINATIVE REPRESENTATIONAL

Vocabulary test … SPEECH CONVERGENCE ACCOMMODATION THEORY REGISTER