Interlanguage Pragmatics, Communicative Competence, Nigeria’s L2 Classrooms

Chiekpezie Edwin Orji,Amaechi Uneke Enyi

doi:10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.8n.4p.19

Chiekpezie Edwin Orji, Amaechi Uneke Enyi

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.8n.4p.19

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Abstract

In Nigeria, much attention has been given to the teaching and learning of grammatical forms and sound sequences with emphasis on their accuracy and correctness (linguistic competence). This has reflected in the selection of course syllabi, curriculum, instructional materials and methods in our classrooms. A lot studies have been carried out by scholars on the non-native speakers’ use and acquisition of linguistic action patterns in a second language. Though such studies, dubbed interlanguage pragmatics, have all been carried out in Europe and America with focus on speakers of English as a Foreign language (EFL). This area of enquiry has not been adequately explored in Africa in general or Nigerian L2 learners of English as the focus. Thus, little or seldom attention has been given to pragmatics and appropriateness in language use (Communicative competence). This study is therefore, a consciousness - raising effort to highlight the relevance and advantages of teaching pragmatics and the development of pragmatics awareness in our classrooms. This is against the backdrop of the fact that the linguistic competence of most learners of English as a second language is not usually at par with their pragmatic competence. This study foregrounds the need for L2 learners of English to develop a concomitant degree of pragmatic awareness in the use of the language. They must learn how to combine form, meaning, force and context. They need, for example, to learn how to say what they want to say with the required formality or politeness, directness or indirectness, e t c, as required by a given situation or sometimes, to even keep quiet and still communicate intention. The study, domesticating the findings of some current researches in instructed pragmatics, discussed and suggested some classroom activities that could be adopted as part of the methods of teaching pragmatics, and by so doing, highlighted the enormous advantages and usefulness of teaching pragmatics and acquiring pragmatic competence in Nigeria’s L2 classrooms.

Highlights

INTRODUCTIONIn Nigeria, as in other English as a second language environments, the teaching of pragmatics, which is a communicative approach to learning, in which primacy of place is given to the functional abilities of learners in the target language, has not been properly integrated into our classroom practice and curricula
This study is a consciousness - raising effort to highlight the relevance and advantages of teaching pragmatics and the development of pragmatics awareness in our classrooms. This is against the backdrop of the fact that the linguistic competence of most learners of English as a second language is not usually at par with their pragmatic competence
The study, domesticating the findings of some current researches in instructed pragmatics, discussed and suggested some classroom activities that could be adopted as part of the methods of teaching pragmatics, and by so doing, highlighted the enormous advantages and usefulness of teaching pragmatics and acquiring pragmatic competence in Nigeria’s L2 classrooms

Summary

INTRODUCTION

In Nigeria, as in other English as a second language environments, the teaching of pragmatics, which is a communicative approach to learning, in which primacy of place is given to the functional abilities of learners in the target language, has not been properly integrated into our classroom practice and curricula. According to Thomas (1983), pragmalinguistic failure or error occurs when a speaker of a language (in our case here, the English language) falls short of the native speaker standard or norm while sociopragmatic failure or error occurs when a speaker, especially, an L2 speaker, chooses a wrong form as a result of his/her ignorance of the cultural and social background of English It is the occurrence of these various types of failures in the teaching of English as a second language in Nigeria and the perceived positive effects that pedagogical intervention of pragmatics in our L2 classrooms in Nigeria will have, that inspire and justify this paper (Kasper and Schmidt 1996, Bardovi-Harlig,1999, Bouton,1996). Kasper and Rose (2001) report current studies which are aimed at investigating learners’ use and development of L2 ability all of which point to the fact that pragmatic ability can be taught (Yoshimi,2001; Farahian et al:2012)

Objectives of Study

CONCLUSION