During the early linguistic period, what is a key pragmatic function of a child’s utterances?

In the early linguistic period, a key pragmatic function of a child’s utterances is to express opposition or disagreement. Protesting involves the child communicating their wishes or reactions to the environment, which serves to assert their desires and autonomy in interactions. This behavior reflects a fundamental aspect of language development where children begin to understand and manipulate the communicative functions of language to influence their surroundings and assert their perspective.

During this stage, children are not yet fully capable of engaging in complex storytelling or questioning, which typically develop later as their language skills expand. Similarly, while describing is a significant aspect of language use, it does not primarily focus on the child's active participation in asserting their needs or wants in social contexts. Protesting is thus a crucial element in early language development, showcasing how children use language to navigate and engage with their world.