On Pragmatic Failures in Second Language Learning

Abstract

Pragmatics is the study of the use of language in communication, which includes the study of how the interpretation and use of utterances depends on knowledge of the real world; how speakers use and understand speech acts; how the structure of sentences is influenced by the relationship between the speaker and the hearer. When the pragmatic force of a language is misunderstood, the communication fails, leading to pragmatic failures. The pragmatic failures are composed of pragmatic linguistic failures and social-pragmatic failures. By improving learners’ linguistic and communicative competence and cultural quality, the pragmatic failures might be avoided.