Pragmatic competence is an essential element of communicative competence, which makes it relevant for speakers of all ages, including young language learners (YLLs). Despite the recognized importance of pragmatics, research of textbooks for adult second language (L2) learners to date has found them lacking in their approach to this key aspect of language. However, there is very little research of pragmatics in textbooks for YLLs, which would provide insight into the extent to which these materials can support teachers in including elements of pragmatic competence into their language classes. The present study aims to fill this gap by determining how much pragmatic content is included in 18 textbooks used in Croatian primary schools with learners aged 9–12 years. The textbooks are compared in regard to the percentage of pages with pragmatic content as well as the different speech acts that receive explicit attention in them. The main finding of the study is the great amount of inconsistency when it comes to the scope and treatment of pragmatic content, with some textbooks proving extremely lacking. The results present a concerning picture as all of the students using these diverse textbooks should be following the same curriculum which emphasizes the development of communicative competence.

语用能力是交际能力的重要组成部分，这使它适合所有年龄段的说话者，包括年轻的语言学习者（YLLs）。尽管认识到实用主义的重要性，但迄今为止对成人第二语言（L2）学习者的教科书的研究发现，他们在语言的这一关键方面缺乏方法。但是，在YLL的教科书中，很少有关于语用学的研究，该研究可以深入了解这些材料在多大程度上可以支持教师将语用能力的要素纳入其语言课。本研究旨在通过确定年龄在9至12岁之间的克罗地亚小学使用的18本教科书中包含多少务实内容来填补这一空白。比较教科书中具有实用内容的页面所占的百分比，以及在其中受到明确注意的各种言语举止。该研究的主要发现是，在语用内容的范围和处理上存在大量不一致之处，有些教科书被证明极度缺乏。结果呈现出令人担忧的画面，因为所有使用这些多样化教科书的学生都应遵循相同的课程，强调沟通能力的发展。