Abstract
Within the last few decades, interlanguage pragmatics research has risen to its due prominence under the influence of Hymes and the subsequent models of Communicative Competence (CC). Among different components of CC, a large number of L2 studies have attended to the construct pragmatic competence, which deals with both pragmalinguistic knowledge and sociopragmatic knowledge. As such, interlanguage pragmatics research is interested in the pragmatic competence and pragmatic performance of L2 learners; however, teaching pragmatics to Non-native Speakers (NNSs), especially EFL learners, is a thorny issue. As a result, pragmatic competence has been noticeably absent from ELT curricula, despite the fact that it has an assured place in different models of CC. The reasons for this neglect lie behind the obstacles to teaching and learning pragmatics in the ESL/EFL classroom settings. Thus, drawing on the published literature, this very paper primarily aims at discussing challenges and lacunas in teaching and learning pragmatics within the confines of EFL classrooms. Subsequent to this, the paper enlists suggestions to overcome these obstacles. To this end, the paper focuses on four broad areas: the EFL context, ELT materials and resources available to L2 learners in the EFL context, teacher education, and assessment of pragmatic knowledge.
Highlights
Over the last five decades, we have witnessed great changes in our perception of how languages are learnt and should be taught (Usó-Juan & Martínez-Flor, 2008)
The two areas of pragmatic competence seem to be difficult for EFL/ESL learners to acquire (O’Keeffe, Clancy, & Adolphs, 2011) since to be pragmatically competent, L2 learners must know how to map their sociopragmatic knowledge onto pragmalinguistic forms under the contextual constraints of the situation (Roever, 2004, as cited in Mirzaei, Roohani, & Esmaeili, 2012)
Tackling the nuances of pragmatics is a challenge to Non-native Speakers (NNSs) (O’Keeffe et al, 2011), and the complexity is enhanced in the EFL context
Summary
Over the last five decades, we have witnessed great changes in our perception of how languages are learnt and should be taught (Usó-Juan & Martínez-Flor, 2008). Unlike the ESL context wherein L2 learners are surrounded by the bath of English in their daily life (LoCastro, 2012), EFL learners have less exposure to authentic language use and fewer opportunities to practice English outside the walls of the EFL classroom. They have to rely on instruction, textbooks, and TV/radio programmes (Webb, 2013)
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