Intentions of English children’s nonfiction discourse
Communicative and cognitive-pragmatic perspectives
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22433664 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maryna Chernyk (Sumy State University), Hanna Prihodko (National University Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic), Vladyslava Kulish (Sumy State University), Oleksandra Prykhodchenko (0000-0002-8468-2453, National University Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-29 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | East European Journal of Psycholinguistics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2312-3265 • E-ISSN: 2313-2116 |
| Publisher | Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University (PUBLISHER • UA) |
| DOI | 10.29038/eejpl.2026.13.1.che |
| OpenAlex | W7167332184 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 15 |
This article examines the intentions of English children’s nonfiction discourse from communicative and cognitive-pragmatic perspectives and identifies the linguistic means of their realization at lexical, syntactic, and stylistic levels. The study is based on a corpus of English children’s nonfiction books, including encyclopedias and biographies represented by covers, blurbs, and main texts. The research applies pragmalinguistic, descriptive, cognitive, and quantitative methods grounded in speech act theory and discourse studies. The communicative perspective includes representative, directive, commissive, expressive, declarative, and quesitive intentions, whereas the cognitive-pragmatic perspective is represented by informing, influencing, and engaging intentions. The results demonstrate that communicative and cognitive-pragmatic intentions, together with their linguistic means of representation, form an interconnected system in children’s nonfiction discourse. Representative and informing intentions are predominantly realized through scientific terminology, declarative constructions, and descriptive statements, while directive and influencing intentions are expressed through imperative constructions, modal verbs, and direct address. Engaging and expressive intentions are represented through emotionally marked vocabulary, rhetorical questions, intensifiers, and exclamatory constructions aimed at maintaining readers’ interest and stimulating curiosity. The findings provide new insights into the intentional organization of children’s nonfiction discourse and its role in shaping children’s perception of scientific knowledge and interaction with the surrounding world. Disclosure Statement The authors reported no potential conflicts of interest.
Directive · Indirect speech · Perception · Pragmatics · Rhetorical device · Rhetorical question · Speech act · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · Literacy, Media, and Education · Reading and Literacy Development
| Highly cited | No |
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