Metapragmatic skills of elementary-grade children in the classroom are discussed in relation to remediation with language-disordered children. Of particular importance in the classroom is children's metapragmatic knowledge of requests and responses. Therapy of classroom interactions should incorporate actual academic material of gradually…

This article draws on sociolinguistics and educational anthropology to discuss (1) the concept of communicative competence in general and in the classroom setting in particular; and (2) findings from studies of home-school cultural discontinuities. The ability to empathize and understand is seen to help teachers and clinicians bridge differences…