Which aspect of language relates to the use of language to express intentions?

The aspect of language that relates to the use of language to express intentions is pragmatics. Pragmatics encompasses the social rules and conventions that govern how we use language in context to achieve specific communicative goals. This includes understanding the speaker’s intentions and how meaning is constructed in various situations, as well as how context influences the interpretation of utterances.

When we consider pragmatics, it involves navigating the subtleties of meaning that go beyond the literal definitions of words. For instance, when someone says, "Could you pass the salt?" in a dinner setting, they are expressing a request rather than simply inquiring about someone's ability to pass the salt. Pragmatics is essential in communication, particularly for deaf and hard of hearing students, as it helps them to interpret and convey intentions effectively in both verbal and non-verbal forms.

The other aspects of language, while important, do not directly focus on expressing intentions. Phonology relates to the sounds of speech, morphology to the structure and formation of words, and syntax to the arrangement of words and phrases to create sentences. Each of these aspects plays a role in language overall, but it is pragmatics that specifically addresses how language is used in context to express a speaker's intentions.