This pilot project will attempt to provide a proof of concept for a Citizen Science approach to better inform the assessment of pragmatic language in adolescents. Pragmatic language is the ability to use and understand implicit meaning during social interaction. A number of standard tools exist to assess pragmatic language, but speech & language therapists find these tools inadequate for that age group, which seems to be characterised by very different ‘norms’ to other age groups. We will facilitate the creation of videos by young people from Bradford, on their experience of pragmatic language. This will inform a critical review of existing assessment tools, and lay the foundation for a larger-scale project.
The pilot is funded by the University of Leeds' Cultural Institute. It is a collaboration between the University of Leeds, the University of Bradford, and political theatre company Common Wealth (Bradford and Cardiff).