Pragmatic Functions in Caregiver Speech

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Pragmatic Functions in Caregiver Speech

• Josh Thompson, Ph.D.
• The University of Texas
• at Arlington

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Naturalistic observation

• Ethnography of Speaking
• (Hymes, 1968)
• Discover a relevant frame or context
• Identify the items which contrast within it
• Determine the dimensions of that contrast

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relevant frame or context

• Phonology
• Syntax
• Semantics

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Pragmatics - communicative competence

• knowing when to speak
• and when not to,
• what to talk about
• and with whom,
• when, where,
• and in what manner to interact
• (Hymes, 1972 277)

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Pragmatics - communicative competence

• the ability of native speakers to use the
  resources of their language(s) in ways that are
  not only linguistically accurate but also
  socially appropriate
• (Wolfson, 1989 3)

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items which contrast Caregiver Speech

• Motherese
• Parentese
• Baby talk
• Infant (child) directed speech

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Profile of common baby talk features (Baron,
1990 22) PHONOLOGICAL FEATURES higher
pitch greater range of frequencies slower rate
of speech clearer enunciation emphasis on one
or two words in a sentence special
pronunciation of individual words LEXICAL
FEATURES substitutions diminutives semantically
inappropriate words use of childs nonce forms
SYNTACTIC FEATURES use of nouns in lieu of
pronouns use of plural pronouns in place of
singular intentional ungrammatical usage more
grammatically correct usage more grammatically
simple phrases shorter phrases CONVERSATIONAL
FEATURES more restricted topics more
repetitions of own utterances more questions,
fewer declaratives more deictic declaratives
provision of both questions and answers by adult
repetitions, expansions, recasts of childs
utterances
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Conversational Features (Baron, 1990 22)

• more restricted topics
• more repetitions of own utterances
• more questions, fewer declaratives
• more deictic declaratives
• provision of both questions and answers by adult
• repetitions, expansions, recasts of childs
  utterances

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dimensions of that contrasta case studytwo
parents talking to their 18-month old daughter
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dimensions of that contrastData gathered from
132 Language Situations
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SPEAKING Observation Model Record Form (Hymes,
1968 Wolfson, 1989 L. Thompson, 1996,
W.J.Thompson, 2001) Setting Date ____/____/___
Day S M T W Th F S Time __________A.M./P.M. Pla
ce Physical circumstances
Psychological setting Participants Sp
eaker Addressor Audience
Addressee Ends Purposes or
Outcomes Goals Act
Sequence Message form Message content
Key Instrumentalities Channel
Forms of Speech (codes, registers)
Norms Norms of interaction Norms of
interpretation Genres Categories
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SPEAKING Observation Model Record Form (Hymes,
1968 Wolfson, 1989 L. Thompson, 1996,
W.J.Thompson, 2001) Setting Date ____/____/___
Day S M T W Th F S Time __________A.M./P.M. Pla
ce Physical circumstances
Psychological setting Participants Sp
eaker Addressor Audience
Addressee Ends Purposes or
Outcomes Goals Act Sequence Message
form Message content Key
Instrumentalities Channel
Forms of Speech (codes, registers)
Norms Norms of interaction Norms of
interpretation Genres Categories
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Language functions

• using language in various contexts to do things
• Jakobson
• Hymes
• Halliday
• Tough

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Barons (1990) five language functions

• Affection
• Control
• Information
• Pedagogy
• Social exchange

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Proportions of Barons Five Language Functions
used by these Caregivers

• Control (32.6)
• Social exchange (26.5)
• Information (19.7)
• Pedagogy (15.2)
• Affection (7.6)

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Table 1. Summary of Observations
of days of minutes
Mother only 8 1065
Father only 5 475
Mother and Father together 9 1295
Totals 22 2835
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Ratio

• Fathers total 475 1295
• 1770 min.
• Mothers total 1065 1295
• 2360 min.
• Fathers time/Mothers time
• 1770/2360 0.75

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Table 2 Ratio of Caregiver Speech Situations
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Discussion

• The father seemed to use affection more than
  twice as often as the mother, but this was not
  statistically significant in this small sample .

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Discussion

• The mother used control language significantly
  more often - more than twice as frequently - as
  the father.
• (chi-square pltlt0.01)

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Discussion

• No parental differences were observed in the
  categories of information, pedagogy or social
  exchange.

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Conclusions

• Pragmatic competence
• Barons five-fold functions of language is useful
  for this data
• Individual differences (gender) account for
  diversity

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Further Research

• Review of language data
• Broader survey of speakers
• Do adaptations of language functions affect
  acquisition of pragmatic competence?

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