Describe pragmatic development, including factors that support early communication skills

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Children must learn to use language effectively in social contexts—by taking turns, staying on the same topic, stating their messages clearly, and conforming to cultural rules for interaction. Additional conversational strategies include the turnabout (commenting on what has just been said and then adding a request to get the partner to respond), shading (changing the topic gradually by modifying the focus of discussion), and understanding illocutionary intent (what a speaker means to say even if the form of the utterance is not perfectly consistent with it).
To communicate effectively, we must produce clear verbal messages and recognize when messages we receive are unclear so we can ask for more information. These aspects of language are called referential communication skills. Children's ability to evaluate the adequacy of messages they receive also improves with age. Conversations with adults about past experiences contribute to dramatic gains in children's ability to produce well-organized, detailed, expressive narratives. The ability to generate clear oral narratives contributes to literacy development, enhancing reading comprehension. The importance of adapting language to social expectations, known as speech registers, is evident in how often parents teach social routines, such as politeness. Greater skill at reflecting on the features of language and engaging in cognitive self-regulation also supports effective use of speech registers.