Pragmatic is the study of how context influences the interpretation of meaning in communication. It includes studying speaker intent, social context, and the relationship between speakers and listeners. It differs from semantics in that it focuses on the users of language rather than on the linguistic features of the languages themselves.
The word pragmatic is most often used in a positive way to praise choices or actions that are considered practical and reasonable. It’s also sometimes applied to political positions or actions. Pragmatic is a form of common sense that tries to find the best solution in a given situation. This is in contrast to a more idealistic view that aims for perfection, even if the result is not perfect or might be counterproductive.
Pragmatism is a philosophical movement founded in the late 19th century by Charles Sanders Peirce and William James. They influenced a number of important philosophers, psychologists and lawyers. Peirce and James shared a broad outlook, but they disagreed on some issues, particularly about the nature of truth and realism broadly conceived. They both endorsed the pragmatic maxim, a rule for clarifying hypotheses and identifying empty disputes, but they differed on whether pragmatism should conceive of itself as a scientific philosophy holding a metaphysical monism about truth (following Peirce) or as a more general alethic pluralism (following James).
While the philosophical roots of pragmatism are deep, contemporary research in pragmatics is more focused on linguistic and cognitive issues than on the original pragmatist epistemology. Many scholars focus on the interaction of pragmatics with grammatical structures, while others explore the social implications of language use and how people learn it. There are also some broader questions about the role of pragmatics in a society, such as how it relates to morality and social ethics.
Although some researchers have criticized the pragmatic maxim as unnecessarily restrictive, most pragmatists believe that it is a useful guide to ethical decision making. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing that situations and people vary greatly, and that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to ethical dilemmas. In particular, the pragmatic maxim argues that it is always preferable to be fair than unfair in a given situation.
Teachers can integrate pragmatics into their classroom by teaching the concepts of context and speaker intent. For example, Joseph Siegel describes an excellent pragmatic activity for a speaking class in his Forum article “Pragmatic Activities for the Speaking Classroom.” This involves giving students a variety of scenarios and asking them how they would respond to those scenarios. Then they discuss their responses and the reasons for choosing each response. Other pragmatic teaching strategies include asking students to consider how they should interact with different types of people and using real-life examples from their own experiences. These kinds of pragmatic lessons help students develop the awareness and flexibility needed to communicate effectively in a diverse world. By developing this flexibility, they will be able to adapt to the changing dynamics of the workplace and the complexities of everyday life.
