Pragmatics

Pragmatics is a subfield of linguistics and communication studies that deals with how context influences the interpretation of meaning. Pragmatics examines how communicators understand one another in conversational interactions, even when the explicit content of the spoken words might suggest a different interpretation.

Pragmatics studies the aspects of meaning and language use that are dependent on the speaker, the addressee, and other features of the context of utterance. Here are some key aspects of pragmatics:

1. Speech Acts: Pragmatics studies speech acts, which are functions performed via utterance, such as making requests, giving orders, asking questions, making promises, and giving thanks. The philosopher J.L. Austin was instrumental in developing the theory of speech acts^[1].

2. Deixis and Reference: Deictic expressions are words such as “this”, “that”, “here”, and “there” that rely on context for interpretation. Reference deals with how speakers use language to enable others to identify something.

3. Implicature: H.P. Grice introduced the concept of implicature, which refers to what a speaker can imply, suggest, or mean, as opposed to what the speaker explicitly says^[2]. For example, if a person asks if you want coffee or tea, and you reply, "I don’t drink coffee," the implicature is that you would like tea.

4. Politeness and Interactional Sociolinguistics: Politeness theory examines how people manage face and politeness in communication. Erving Goffman, Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson^[3] have made significant contributions in this area.

5. Conversational Structure: Pragmatics also explores the structure and organisation of conversation, including turn-taking, sequence organisation, repair, and the role of gaze and gesture.

6. Context: Context is central to pragmatics. It includes the physical setting, the social roles and relationships between the participants, the cultural background, and the speaker’s goals and intentions.

7. Relevance Theory: Developed by Dan Sperber and Deirdre Wilson, this theory suggests that an essential feature of human communication is the use of inferences to interpret and understand utterances^[4]. It posits that humans are tuned to look for relevance in communications and that the interpretation of a message involves the search for an optimally relevant interpretation.

Children across various disorders face challenges with pragmatics, a key component of social communication. Those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) struggle with understanding and using social language, interpreting non-literal language, and grasping conversation rules. Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may also experience pragmatic difficulties, particularly in maintaining conversation topics, turn-taking, and interpreting social cues, despite ADHD not being a primary communication disorder. Similarly, those diagnosed with Social Communication Disorder (SCD) exhibit difficulties in using verbal and non-verbal communication socially, adapting language to context, and adhering to conversation norms.

To work with a child on pragmatics, a speech pathologist may employ structured social skills groups to foster interaction in a controlled environment, utilising role play and simulations for practice in varied scenarios, and leveraging visual supports and social stories to illustrate appropriate social behaviours and responses. Video modelling serves as an effective tool for demonstrating and imitating proper social interactions, while immediate feedback and positive reinforcement encourage the adoption of suitable pragmatic skills. Additionally, the speech pathologist will collaborate with parents and educators to generalise these skills across settings utilising technology, functional communication training, and narrative therapy to further support the child's development in pragmatics.