The pragmatics of language is a set of socially constructed rules for language interaction. These rules regulate the use of social language such as greetings, eye contact, and body language. They also determine how people refer to each other in conversations. While many children learn these rules implicitly through social situations, others may not have the opportunity to develop them until they are much older.
Context is a central concept in pragmatics. Some authors consider context the definition of pragmatics, while others place many other concepts under context. The implication of context is that the speaker intends to communicate a particular meaning with the use of words. For example, the sentence “I have two sons” will take on a different meaning if the speaker asks, “Do you have any children?”
The pragmatics of language can be divided into two types: near-side pragmatics and far-side pragmatics. The near-side pragmatics focuses on what is said, while the far-side pragmatics focuses on what happens after the sentence has been uttered. The two kinds of pragmatics are distinct, but they do overlap.
Pragmatics is an area of linguistic study that focuses on the relation between speakers and users of language. The study of pragmatics focuses on the use of language in dialogues, social interactions, and reference. The goal of pragmatics is to understand how people use language and what it means to them.
Relevance theory views pragmatics as an investigation of the comprehension process of the hearer. Relevance theory takes the hearer-oriented perspective, arguing that the meaning beyond the utterance is what matters. This is a critical distinction, and a distinction should be drawn between the two approaches. However, both approaches are valid.