Pragmatic is a word used to describe people who think in practical, logical ways and who make decisions that are sensible. The term is also used to describe language and behavior that is appropriate in particular situations. For example, using a polite greeting with an acquaintance is pragmatic because it conveys to the other person that you respect them.

A person who is pragmatic has an understanding of how different cultures communicate and the context in which language is used. This is important because the rules for appropriate language vary from culture to culture. Pragmatic people are able to navigate differences in communication styles, beliefs and traditions to achieve their goals.

The study of Pragmatics focuses on the context and purpose of language use rather than the content or meaning of the words themselves. This makes it quite distinct from the traditional studies of semantics, grammar and truth which are more focused on language as a system of symbols for denoting objects. There are many approaches to the study of Pragmatics: formal and computational; theoretical and applied; intercultural, cross-linguistic and interactional; cognitive and experimental; neuropragmatic and historical. The general lines of contemporary Pragmatics are:

While there is much agreement that pragmatics is a separate field from semantics, there is disagreement about its nature and how it relates to the rest of linguistics. Some see it as a philosophical project along the lines of Grice’s communicative intention; others as a sub-field of semantics devoted to the resolution of ambiguity and vagueness; still others as an empirical psychological theory of utterance interpretation.

One of the main problems with defining pragmatics is that there are so many different ways to describe it that it is hard to make comparisons and identify commonalities. Pragmatics can be seen as the ‘contextual’ part of semiosis: it deals with the relationship between the meaning of signs and their interpreters, the kind of relation that Morris describes as “the biotic aspects of the functioning of signs”.

Pragmatics is a broad field which has various sub-fields:

Near-side pragmatics – this consists of resolution of ambiguity and vagueness; reference of proper names, indexicals and demonstratives, and anaphors; and at least some issues involving presupposition. Far-side pragmatics – this involves understanding the ways in which speakers’ intentions and goals affect their choice of utterances; the strategies they employ to achieve those ends; and how those objectives are interpreted by hearers.

Pragmatics is a fascinating subject for both students and teachers of English. It is a great way to get students to think about how they use language and why certain forms of speech are more appropriate than others. It can also be a useful tool for teaching students how to avoid ambiguity in their own speech and writing. For example, in the Forum article “Pragmatic Activities for the Speaking Classroom,” Joseph Siegel outlines an activity where students are presented with different scenarios and asked to decide how they would respond.