Amplifying Pragmatics: A Decade Later

Abstract

Despite advances in technology and educational methods, it is obvious that for many hearing impaired adolescents, normal communication is not a reality. Clinicians who work with these childr.en are aware of their communication problems which extend beyond limitations in syntax, semantics and phonology. Hearing impaired children exhibit deficits in the full range of pragmatic communication behaviours. The communicative skills of these teenagers suggest the need for stressing communicative competence at the preschool and elementary-school levels. Developing these abilities requires the careful coordination of amplification and teaching strategies. These papers will present information regarding the integration of amplification and teaching techniques in order to help hearing impaired children develop pragmatic communication skills, including the full range of communicative functions, strategies for effective maintenance of conversations, clarification strategies, and social appropriateness. Attention will be given to bridging the gap from amplification systems and teaching methods in the classroom to personal hearing aid use and communication in the “real world”.