Gradeschoolers’ linguistic and pragmatic speech adaptation to native and non-native interlocution

This study examines conversational skills and attention to interlocutors’ speech features in Hebrew-speaking gradeschoolers in verbal interaction with Russian-speaking Hebrew learners and with Hebrew native speakers. Twelve native Hebrew-speaking gradeschoolers aged 9–10 years were recorded in conversation with a native-speaking partner and with a non-native Hebrew learner. When addressing non-native partners, participants used features of foreigner talk. The differing discourse they produced in talking to native and non-native partners showed that gradeschoolers are already able to vary their speech in different circumstances, taking into account the linguistic knowledge of their addressee. However, gradeschoolers differed widely in their communicative skills and in their ability to lead the conversation, steer their partners towards desired goals, and supply missing information in cases of communication breakdown.