Activity

Understand how a language disorder can affect a student’s social interactions.

Language is complicated. Many rules must be applied correctly if effective communication is to occur. A student with a language impairment has difficulty mastering (or the inability to master) the various systems of rules in language, which then interferes with communication. Language impairments involve difficulties with at least one of the following:

• Expressive language—the ability to convey one’s thoughts, feelings, and ideas through speaking or writing
• Receptive language—the ability to receive information, usually through reading or listening
• Pragmatics—the appropriate use of language in social contexts

This activity will focus on pragmatics. Students who have difficulty with pragmatics have difficulty with language-based social interactions. This difficulty might cause issues with peer relationships or appear as misbehavior.

Conduct an Internet search of pragmatic language, making sure to consult reputable sources, and create a list of associated skills. Then read the following examples of student social interactions.

Example A

Two six-year-olds are playing a game on the playground when a third child approaches them and says, “That looks fun!” and is invited to join the game. A fourth child asks, “Can I play?” and joins once given approval. Although six-year-old Lela wants to join the game, too, she is uncertain how to approach the others to initiate an interaction. She wanders around the general vicinity where the children are playing, approaches them several times, but walks away without saying anything. Finally, she joins the game without asking. Although the others let her play, they are uncomfortable because she did not follow the normal social conventions.

Example B

Eleven-year-old Libby has trouble following conversational rules. She approaches a group of classmates in the hallway and says, “Hey, Abigail, guess what?” Abigail, who was already in a conversation with someone else, does not hear her and continues talking with her friend. Libby does not pick up on this social cue and instead proceeds to tell Abigail about her weekend, even though Abigail is still talking. When Abigail does acknowledge Libby and starts talking to her, the conversation breaks down further. Libby responds to some of Abigail’s comments with remarks that are not relevant to the conversation. She doesn’t allow the usual give-and-take, instead taking longer conversational turns, and often talks at the same time Abigail does.

In frustration, Abigail finally says, “Libby, you never listen to anything I say!” and walks away. Other girls who witness the scene agree that Libby is frustrating to talk to and decide among themselves that she is weird.

Example C

Sixteen-year-old Eric is known as the class clown. His classmates think he’s funny because he often pretends not to understand what people are telling him to do, instead doing something entirely different. As his class is filing into the library one afternoon, Eric stops outside the door and says, “Oh, no. I’ve got gum. I need to toss it before the librarian sees me.” (Note: The librarian is a real stickler on not having gum near books.) As students give him various suggestions to throw it away, such as stick it under one of the tables or keep it in his mouth but don’t chew it, his friend Anthony says sarcastically, “Nah . . . you should just wait until she’s in the middle of explaining something to us and then blow a huge bubble right in front of her and see what she does!” Another student adds, “And then pop it really loudly!” The other students laugh, adding comments like, “Yeah, I’m sure she’d love that!” However, once class starts, they are all surprised when Eric really does blow a huge bubble and pops it while the librarian is talking. The librarian, true to her reputation, gives him five demerits and assigns him to after-school book-shelving duty for a week. Eric is surprised that the librarian did not love it like his friends said she would and that they would encourage him to do something that would get him in trouble.

Individually, in pairs, or in small groups, have students complete the following.