What is Pragmatics?

Pragmatics is the area of language function that embraces the use of language in social contexts. It is knowing what to say and how and when to say it.

A child may have a large vocabulary, use long, complex sentences, use correct grammar, pronounce words clearly, and still have a communication problem if he or she has not mastered the rules for appropriate social language known as pragmatics.

Pragmatics involves three major communication skills. They are as follows:

1. Using language for different purposes such as demanding things, greeting people, informing, making promises, and requesting things.

2. Adapting or changing language according to the needs or expectations of other people. A situation such as talking differently to a baby or toddler than to an adult, giving enough background information to a new person not familiar with the topic of conversation, or the difference between talking quietly (as such in a classroom) compared to talking loudly on a playground.

3. Following rules for conversations and narrative. For example, telling a story, giving oral reports, and recounting events of the day. There are rules for taking turns in conversation, telling a story, introducing topics of conversation, staying on the topic, and rephrasing when misunderstood. There are also rules for appropriate use of nonverbal signals in conversation such as the distance between the speaker and a listener, facial expressions, and eye contact. Rules may also vary in different cultures.

A child with pragmatic problems may say inappropriate or unrelated things during conversations, may have little variety in language use, or may tell stories in a disorganized way. During a conversation, a child may appear to pull topics out of the air and may not use statements that signal a change in topic, such as "That reminds me." Pragmatic problems can lower social acceptance because the child's peers may avoid conversations with the child.

It is not unusual for children to have some pragmatic problems in a few situations. However, if problems in social language use occur often and seem inappropriate considering the child's age, a pragmatic disorder may exist and the child should be evaulated by a speech-language pathologist. Pragmatic disorders frequently coexist with other language problems such as vocabulary/concept development or grammar.