Three-year-old Jamal is learning how to wait his turn to talk during circle time in preschool. Jamal is learning the _____ of language.

• A. morphemes
• B. phonemes
• C. pragmatics
• D. semantics

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the context of the problem: Jamal is learning to wait his turn to talk during circle time, which involves understanding social rules and norms.
2. Recognize that the problem is asking about a specific aspect of language that Jamal is learning.
3. Understand the definitions of the given options: Morphemes are the smallest units of meaning in a language, phonemes are the smallest units of sound, semantics refers to meaning, and pragmatics involves the social rules of language use.
4. Determine which aspect of language involves understanding and following social rules and norms during communication.
5. Conclude that Jamal is learning the pragmatics of language, as it involves the social aspects of communication, such as turn-taking in conversation.