The ability to understand and use pragmatic language is a key component of communication. It allows us to politely hedge a request, read between the lines in conversation, and navigate ambiguity. Pragmatic language skills are vital for interacting with others in both our home and work environments.
This month’s Teacher’s Corner explores the concept of Pragmatics, and provides educators with resources to support this topic in their instruction.
A subfield of linguistics, Pragmatics studies how context influences meaning. It is a dynamic field that includes research into the social implications of speech, as well as how we interpret and respond to other people’s utterances. Linguists who specialize in Pragmatics are called pragmaticians.
Pragmatics is sometimes referred to as “social linguistics,” and the International Pragmatics Association (IPrA) was founded in 1986 to represent this branch of the field.
Pragmatists focus on real-world scenarios and contexts when making decisions. Pragmatism involves assessing what works best in the actual situation and can be used to make decisions that will be effective. In contrast, those who use an idealistic approach to research will often take more of a theoretical course of action that may not be practical in the real world.
Generally speaking, a pragmatist will seek to combine different approaches to research in order to obtain the best results. This is referred to as a multi-method approach and it can help provide a more thorough understanding of the reality of a particular scenario or phenomenon.
For example, someone who is a pragmatist in their personal life may choose to live in a place that is convenient for them and their family members rather than a location that is more desirable but would not be feasible for everyone to travel to or from on a regular basis. If this person is a business leader, they may be more inclined to consider the practicality of a project before committing to it.
In the classroom, educators can incorporate Pragmatics instruction by connecting it to content in the textbook. For example, when teaching the unit on apologies, instructors can supplement their lesson by addressing how to make apologies in specific cultural contexts.
The classroom is also a good environment to teach pragmatics because it is a safe place for students to experiment with the social nuances of language. This can include activities that involve role-playing different situations such as saying hello, asking for help, and making an apology.
In addition, instructors can also use social outings and structured group activities to help students build up their pragmatic skills. They can also use technology to simulate social interactions and allow students to practice their pragmatic abilities in a controlled setting. This is a great way to help students develop their social and communicative competence before they have to use their skills in the outside world. Our digital booklet, Supporting the Pragmatic and Social Communication of Deaf Children, provides more information on how to support pragmatic learning in the classroom.