When talking about language, we often hear the terms “practical” or “pragmatic.” This is a useful term, as it refers to the way we use language to achieve various functions and goals. But what is pragmatics? Let’s consider its basic features and see how we use language in everyday life. A pragmatic view is concerned with the practical, and not the ideal. In other words, it focuses on how people use language to communicate in different situations.
The Pragmatics Profile is a test of language ability that can be used with children. It is a Swedish version of the CELF-IV. It contains 50 statements that caregivers rate on a four-point scale. During the test session, children and caregivers rate the statements based on their own levels of pragmatic language. Children with language disorders may have a difficult time acquiring pragmatic language. In such cases, visual supports, role models, and social stories are helpful.
Children with CI have pragmatic language abilities comparable to their hearing peers. They show age-norm development. However, there were significant differences between hearing and deaf children when it comes to the theory of mind (TOM), which is a critical skill for the development of social communication and reasoning. Therefore, further studies are needed to examine how communication styles influence pragmatic language ability in children with CI. This new knowledge could pave the way for the development of effective interventions for children with CI.
The language skills of children with CI have been correlated with their success in general education. Children with CI generally do not perform as well on tests measuring pragmatic language ability. However, children with cochlear implants did not show a significant difference when compared with children without hearing loss. Therefore, pragmatic language skills are important for children with CI. In general, pragmatic language skills are important for promoting success in the general education system.
Children with CI and those with HL were studied in the context of pragmatic language. Children with CI were divided into two groups, special education and mainstream. Table 2 shows their pragmatic language skills. All three pragmatic sub-measures were positively related to verbal fluency. The findings suggest that children with CI are at a disadvantage when it comes to pragmatic language skills. These children may be more sensitive to social interactions with others. However, the lack of pragmatic language ability may not be the only factor influencing pragmatic language development.
Another common approach to pragmatics is the notion of context. Kaplan claims that the content of an utterance depends on the context. While he acknowledges the need for contextual facts and pragmatic reasoning, he argues that these are not crucial. He proposes that a person can have multiple levels of context, including a possible world. Therefore, a person can have two types of context – a narrow context and a wide context.