Pragmatic Language Abilities of 9-Year-Old Children on a Nation-Wide Survey: Effects of Gender and Socioeconomic Status

Abstract

Improvement of conversation and communication skills has often been regarded as a major feature of language development during school-age. The main purpose of this study was to describe the pragmatic language abilities of 9-year-old children. The current study also examined whether these abilities vary according to the child's gender and socioeconomic status (SES), and the effects of these factors on pragmatic language abilities. Methods: Performance data on the Children's Pragmatic Language Checklist (CPLC) and information regarding child and family characteristics were collected from 1386 children participating in the 'Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC)' of the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education. Total and subtest scores of the CPLC were obtained for descriptive statistics and a one-way ANOVA and t-test were used to compare group differences, as well as a multiple regression analysis for seeking affecting factors for performance on the CPLC. Results: In general, 9-year-old children obtained good scores in CPLC total and subtest scores. Discourse management was relatively difficult when compared to the other sub-areas. The children's gender and SES (education level of mother, monthly family income) brought significant group differences, as well as the size of their residential areas. The educational level of the mother alone, along with the child's gender, affected the pragmatic abilities of 9-year-old children. Conclusion: The results of the current study showed that 9-year-old children have fair pragmatic, communication skills, and suggested that child gender and SES should be considered in assessment and intervention of pragmatic language abilities.