An Applied Linguistics Approach: Communication Gap between Parents and Children Relationship

Abstract

This qualitative research examines the communication gap between parent-children’s relationships, focusing on linguistic and pragmatic difficulties rather than the emotional distance. The study aims to analyze how tone, language choices, and generational slang lead to misunderstanding within the Pakistani context by using discourse analysis alongside Family Communication Pattern Theory. Data was collected by arranging hybrid interviews with eight participants (four children and four parents) and family communication observation. The study analyzes the collected data such as feelings of children and communication strategies used by parents from a discourse analytic perspective. The result shows that many families have protective communication patterns, which are marked by strong conformity orientation and low conversational openness. Parents mostly misjudge children by their slang e.g., ‘Low-Key,” “Goat” as unethical, while children misinterpret parents’ formal and directive tone as restrictive. This study adds a culturally grounded linguistic perspective to the existing research on family communication by employing discourse analysis and FCPT in a Pakistani setting. The study concludes by suggesting linguistically informed strategies such as tone awareness, conversational openness, and pragmatic sensitivity to improve family well-being and reduce miscommunication.