Here are the key features:
* Social Interaction: It highlights the importance of interaction with caregivers and peers in language acquisition. This includes:
* Joint attention: Sharing focus on the same object or event.
* Turn-taking: Engaging in back-and-forth exchanges.
* Scaffolding: Providing support and guidance during language use.
* Cognitive Development: It acknowledges the crucial role of cognitive abilities like memory, attention, and problem-solving in language learning. However, these abilities are seen as intertwined with social interaction, not independent of it.
* Language as a Tool for Communication: The model views language as a tool for achieving social goals, rather than simply a system of rules. Children learn language through using it in meaningful contexts, understanding the intentions and motivations behind utterances.
* Focus on Pragmatics: The model pays particular attention to pragmatic aspects of language, including:
* Understanding the context of a conversation.
* Recognizing the speaker's intentions.
* Using appropriate language in different social situations.
* Emphasis on Feedback: It acknowledges the role of feedback from caregivers and peers, which helps children refine their language and understand its social function. This feedback can be both explicit (corrections) and implicit (re-phrasing).
Key Thinkers:
* Jerome Bruner: Focused on the role of scaffolding and the "language acquisition support system" (LASS).
* Lev Vygotsky: Emphasized the "zone of proximal development" (ZPD) where children learn best with support.
* James Wertsch: Explored the process of "mediated learning" through social interaction.
Examples of Pragmatic Interactionism in Action:
* A parent pointing to a toy and saying "Look, a ball!" This facilitates joint attention.
* A child asking "Want juice?" and the parent responding "Yes, please." This demonstrates turn-taking.
* A teacher guiding a student through a reading task, providing clues and prompts. This is scaffolding.
Strengths:
* Emphasizes the social nature of language learning.
* Acknowledges the importance of cognitive development.
* Explains the variability in language acquisition across different cultures and environments.
Limitations:
* It may overemphasize the role of social interaction and underestimate the role of innate language abilities.
* It can be difficult to isolate the specific effects of social interaction from other factors influencing language acquisition.
Overall, the Pragmatic Interactionist Model offers a valuable perspective on language acquisition by highlighting the complex interplay of social, cognitive, and pragmatic factors in the process of language learning.