Semantic and Pragmatic Comparisons of Children Based on Gender (Sociopragmatic Approach)

Abstract

Objective-This study aims to examine in depth the comparison of semantic and pragmatic aspects in the speech of boys and girls using a sociopragmatic approach, as well as to explain how these differences are related to cognitive development, interaction patterns, and gender identity construction from an early age. Methodology used was qualitative research with a literature study design, which examined journal articles, proceedings, and research reports on child language acquisition obtained through targeted searches in various scientific databases. Data were collected through in-depth reading of these texts, then extracted and analysed using thematic content analysis to identify patterns of vocabulary differences (including emotional vocabulary), meaning relations, types of speech acts, politeness strategies, and turn-taking management in boys and girls. Research findings indicate that previous studies generally agree that girls are more advanced in terms of phonology and, in some cases, have a richer lexical variety. This structural advantage correlates with a more diverse choice of meaning and more subtle speech strategies that maintain harmonious relationships, whereas boys tend to maintain a more direct and competitive style of speech. The novelty of this research lies in its explicit focus on gender-based semantic and pragmatic comparisons, integrating various lexical and sociopragmatic indicators that were previously scattered across separate studies. Significantly, the results of this study broaden the perspective of children's language acquisition from mere structural achievement to an understanding of how language is used to construct meaning, regulate social relationships, and negotiate gender identity, while also providing a basis for the design of language stimulation at home and school that is more sensitive to semantic, pragmatic, and gender justice dimensions.