Acquisition Of Pragmatic Competence Research Articles

Learners’ Use of Pragmatic Learning Strategies Across Language Learning Experience and Gender: An Investigation Framed by Rebecca Oxford’s Taxonomy of Learning Strategies

Learners' acquisition of pragmatic competence in additional languages has received mounting attention since the 1990s. However, although studies on general learning strategies have proliferated since Oxford’s (1990) influential inventory was published, studies on pragmatic-specific learning strategies contributing to the acquisition of this competence are rare. To fill this research gap, the current study purported to inquire into the main pragmatic learning strategies used by English language learners across gender and language learning experience. To collect the data, 145 learners were interviewed. These participants' answers were audio-taped and transcribed. These extracted strategies were organized into six groupings of memory-related, cognitive, metacognitive, compensatory, social, and affective pragmatic learning strategies based on Cohen's (2005, 2010) pragmatic-specific categorization and Oxford's (1990) general language learning strategy classification. The analysis showed that those learners with longer experience used more pragmatic learning strategies; nonetheless, gender did result in great differences in employing these strategies. This study presents a new categorization for pragmatic learning strategies, which can be used for more effective pragmatic learning strategy teaching and learning.

Expressing emotion

Abstract The acquisition of pragmatic competence, namely, the capability to ‘produce and comprehend […] discourse that is adequate to the L2 socio-cultural context’ (Istvan Kecskes, 2013, p. 64) is a major challenge for learners with a medium-to-advanced level of language proficiency, and a main concern for teachers. To study it, two approaches exist: the ethnopragmatic perspective (Anna Wierzbicka, 2004) and the intercultural pragmatics perspective (Laura Maguire & Jesús Romero-Trillo, 2013). Because of its complexity, the study of emotions is core in pragmatic competence acquisition. This paper explores the way English as a lingua franca (ELF) users with different L1s express their emotions, as compiled in the Corpus of Language and Nature (Romero-Trillo et al., 2013). To do so, 115 texts from L1 German speakers and 115 texts from L1 Brazilian Portuguese speakers are explored following corpus-based and corpus-driven approaches. The former was conducted by analysing the presence in the subcorpora of the items in two emotion word lexicons. To complement the information obtained, further corpus-based analyses of the use of modals and intensifiers employed by the participants to express emotion were conducted. The corpus-driven approach allowed the manual identification of any linguistic unit employed by ELF users to express emotion which had not been previously considered. The results cast light on the linguistic units that ELF users from the two backgrounds employ to express emotion in the same situations. The findings highlight the differences and similarities in their use of the language as well as the suitability of the lexicons to study emotion in ELF.

A proposal to teach implicature to intermediate students of English

Teaching pragmatics in language learning is growing more and more relevant in order to achieve the goal that the speakers of a language can communicate effectively with both native and non-native speakers. As a result, misunderstandings when communicating will be avoided. Within pragmatics, implicature is one of the most problematic aspects for students to grasp. Besides, not being able to handle it correctly may interfere or even hinder communication. Therefore, teaching implicature effectively becomes a must for twenty-first century teachers. This means that their goal has to be to equip their students with the necessary skills they will need to manage successfully in a globalised world where English is used as a lingua franca. This paper begins by revising the main concepts about pragmatic competence, together with the most common and effective ways to teach pragmatics. Then, some possible ways to assess the acquisition of pragmatic competence, as well as a proposal to teach implicature to intermediate students of English are presented in this paper. The proposal takes as a reference the different stages, activities, kind of input, materials and ways to teach and assess implicature that have proven effective in previous research studies into this issue. The different parts of this proposal are described, as well as the materials to be used with it. They are mainly authentic input, as well as examples of the most habitual types of activities employed for this purpose. Finally, the results which are expected to be achieved through this proposal are outlined.

Incongruent humour and pragmatic competence in the late-medievalManières de langage

AbstractThis article examines the acquisition of pragmatic competence in L2, applying this stimulating area of research to premodern texts in a way that has yet to be done (to the author’s knowledge). Specifically, this article discusses the teaching of “challenging” incongruent speech behaviours (such as sarcasm, banter, and irony) in a group of Anglo-Norman dialogues of the late Middle Ages. The present work focuses on the representation of incongruent speech acts in the dialogues, how this representation speaks to a pedagogical method that incorporated humour, and also the possible functions of humour in the pedagogical environment. The topic of incongruent performance and its pedagogical implications will also be considered. By discussing the depiction and role of incongruent speech behaviours in the dialogues, I argue that these texts were sophisticated teaching aides that may have used humour as a pedagogical tool to teach more difficult elements of language use.

Development of Language Proficiency and Pragmatic Competence in an Immersive Language Program

Since pragmatic competence and grammatical competence are two distinct aspects of communicative competence (Bachman, 1990), a high level of grammatical competence may not lead to a high level of pragmatic competence, rather it can be best developed through immersion in the target language. In this respect, this paper addresses three research questions within the context of an immersive language program in an EFL setting: 1) Does instruction in an immersive language program have a significant effect on language learners’ general language proficiency? 2) Is there any significant relationship between language learners’ general language proficiency and their pragmatic competence? 3) Is there any significant relationship between language learners’ level of language contact and their pragmatic competence?In the experiment, Japanese first-year college students (n=18) were assessed through TOEFL PBT at the start of a one-year language immersion program. The subjects thereupon participated in an intensive language program. At the end of the academic year, all subjects took another TOEFL PBT along with a pragmatic competence test (Bardovi-Harlig, 2009) and a language contact survey. The statistical findings of this study demonstrated a significant positive effect for immersive language program on general language proficiency. However, the findings found no significant association between general language proficiency and pragmatic competence and only a weak correlation between language contact and pragmatic competency. This suggests that developing general linguistic proficiency and immersive language contact with a target language do not automatically ensure the acquisition of pragmatic competence.

The Acquisition of Pragmatic Competence in Indonesian Abroad Programs: The Importance of Informal Indonesian

This paper presents some comparisons between speeches of advanced learners of Indonesian with those of the native speakers, which indicates that many advanced learners do not communicate the way native speakers usually do. This can be attributed to the Indonesian language programs that focus mostly on teaching formal Indonesian grammar and vocabularies, neglecting informal conversational Indonesian which is essential for the acquisition of pragmatic competence. This paper discusses the importance of pragmatic competence in Indonesian language learning, including learning various speeches commonly used in daily interactions. Based on recordings of learners’ interactions as well as notes on observations of teaching-learning activities in selected Indonesian abroad programs, this paper describes the challenges of developing pragmatic competence based on examples of learners’ non-grammatical errors as well as inappropriate interactional uses of Indonesian. In addition, this paper will explain issues and challenges of achieving pragmatics competence in these programs and suggests possible solutions.

Różnice indywidualne w nabywaniu kompetencji pragmatycznej przez nauczycieli języka angielskiego

Acquisition of pragmatic competence (PC) in a foreign language is a gradual process, which is not trouble-free and effortless even for advanced learners. Since most of the existing research on PC has focused on learners of English, this paper constitutes an attempt to investigate this matter from the perspective of foreign language teachers, with particular attention paid to teachers of English in Poland. Its aim is to investigate whether individual differences influence the acquisition of PC on the basis of data collected during classroom observations and in interviews with teachers. This way the authors endeavor to answer the question whether PC of the teachers depends on their general linguistic ability in English, their educational background and teacher preparation, or the stage of their career development.

Offers by Greek FL learners

This study investigates developmental patterns in the ability of Greek foreign language learners to make offers. Drawing data from role-plays and retrospective verbal reports it attempts to explore the initiative offer strategies, the syntactic modification and the degree of insistence that learners of three different proficiency levels (lower intermediate, intermediate and advanced) employ when performing offers in two symmetrical (-P, -D) and two asymmetrical (+P, +D) situations. The results suggest that, although there is a great deal of grammatical and pragmalinguistic development regarding both initiative offer strategies and syntactic modification devices, this does not guarantee concomitant levels of sociopragmatic development (cf. Bardovi-Harlig 1999). Specifically, it is shown that learners of increased proficiency tend to overgeneralise complex grammatical structures like interrogative constructions and the conditional in situations in which NSs employ more direct and simple grammatical means in order to achieve a solidarity effect. Furthermore, the learners appear to lag far behind NSs in the appropriate use of insistence. The findings of the study lend support to both the developmental stages of pragmatic competence acknowledged in the relevant literature (Ellis 1992; Achiba 2003) and to Bialystok's (1993) model regarding the acquisition of pragmatic competence.

Inductive or Deductive? The Impact of Method of Instruction on the Acquisition of Pragmatic Competence in EFLKarenGlaser. Newcastle upon Tyne, England: Cambridge Scholars, 2014. Pp. Xvii + 615.

[ Review of ] Inductive or Deductive? The Impact of Method of Instruction on the Acquisition of Pragmatic Competence in EFL : Karen Glaser. Newcastle upon Tyne, England : Cambridge Scholars, 2014

In This Issue

In This Issue

Inductive or Deductive? The Impact of Method of Instruction on the Acquisition of Pragmatic Competence in EFLKarenGlaser. Newcastle upon Tyne, England: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2014.

Inductive or Deductive? The Impact of Method of Instruction on the Acquisition of Pragmatic Competence in EFLKarenGlaser. Newcastle upon Tyne, England: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2014.

Critical Perspectives on Interlanguage Pragmatic Development: An Agenda for Research

Research on L2 pragmatic development forms the mainstay of many interlanguage pragmatic (ILP) inquiries. Yet promoting L2 pragmatic competence becomes an exceedingly demanding task when different constraints are brought to bear. This dilemma is due in large part to contrasting theories on interlanguage pragmatics development. From exposure to instruction, ILP research has long wrestled with the practical problems in the way of such development. Adding these together, the field is in dire need of practically meaningful research to address the full spectrum of both the pragmatic construct and the factors to foster its development. Intent on piecing together disparate sources of theory and data, this review synthesizes research regarding key considerations in L2 pragmatic development from cognitive, sociocultural, psycholinguistic and independent vantage points. Meanwhile, it summarizes the current knowledge on ILP development and draws out critical questions in connection with the past research. It is argued that there is a dearth of an integrative model for the acquisition of pragmatic competence, which renders several controversies surrounding L2 pragmatic development, especially that of the relationship between grammar and pragmatic development patterns, implausible. To serve that purpose then, a model for the acquisition of L2 pragmatic competence is expounded. In conclusion, a research agenda involving two prime research questions is outlined for future directions.

KONSTRUKSI KREATIF PEMEROLEHAN KOMPETENSI PRAGMATIK ANAK USIA PRASEKOLAH

This article is about a research conducted with the objective of studyingthe process of creative construction, which consists of a process of hypothesisformulation and that of hypothesis testing, in Javanese-Indonesian bilingualpreschool children's acquisition of pragmatic competence in using Indonesian.Employing a longitudinal research design, the research used subjects of differentages: preschool children 2, 3, 4, and 5 years of age. The data were compiled bymeans of observations together with data recording by using electronic recordingequipment and field-note data cards. The data were analyzed by using a techniqueof performance analysis. On the basis of the data analysis, it has been found that thecreative construction in the acquisition of pragmatic competence has been seen inpreschool-age children's use of learning strategies, which consist of two types:cognitive and social strategies.Keywords: creative construction, pragmatic competence, child learners

Connecting development of pragmatic competence with the CEFR

The aim of this paper is to look at how The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) can facilitate research of pragmatic competence development. Central to developing pragmatic competence are the language functions (or speech acts) and the conventions of politeness. In particular, we focus on how Macedonian learners of English at B2 level express their disagreement, and we put their performance in relation to the functions and the politeness maxims postulated in Vantage (van Ek/Trim 2001) and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (2001). Data for the analysis was compiled by means of a Discourse Completion Task (DCT) consisting of nine tasks which required the students to express an opposing view to the one given in the tasks. In our analysis, we classified disagreement as strong, weak, direct and hints. We focus on the linguistic means that learners used to express and to modify their disagreement. In particular, we discuss the use of lexical and syntactic modifiers, putting more emphasis on the use of modal verbs and I think. We end the paper with a conclusion that the CEFR and the accompanying books provide a valuable tool not only because they list the exponents of the functions, but also because they explain the principles that these exponents are motivated by. Finally, we raise two issues that we believe are important for further consideration. One is development of further research across all levels with the aim of better understanding the processes governing the acquisition of pragmatic competence. The other is developing research on what teaching methods and techniques should be employed to facilitate it.

Study on Developing Chinese College EFL Learners’ Pragmatic Competence in Relation to Language Proficiency and Overseas Experience

Pragmatic competence refers to both knowledge of the linguistic forms which realize particular illocution, and knowledge of the appropriate use of the linguistic forms in certain social contexts. It is an important part of the language proficiency construct. However, studies in China show that College English students' pragmatic competence is poor. Unlike second language learners, students learning English as a foreign language in China do not have many opportunities to be exposed to authentic language use. If they are not provided with sufficient pragmatic knowledge, they will have more difficulty in understanding and producing appropriate use in the target language. This paper focuses on the development of pragmatic competence and awareness on the part of college English learners in China. Overseas experience and language proficiency are treated as two main variables which may influence students' PC development. With some data collection from students in Shanghai Second Polytechnic University, findings shows that there are significant differences in the acquisition of pragmatic competence between students with overseas experience and students without overseas experience, yet no significant differences in the acquisition of pragmatic competence between students with high and low language proficiency.

The relevance of speech act theory for research on the acquisition of pragmatic competence by second language learners

The relevance of speech act theory for research on the acquisition of pragmatic competence by second language learners

Pragmatic development in a foreign language: A study of Greek FL requests

This study investigates developmental patterns in the requestive behavior of foreign language learners of Greek. Drawing data from a DCT it attempts to explore the head acts and external/internal modification devices that learners of three different proficiency levels (lower intermediate, intermediate and advanced) employ when performing requests in one formal (+P, +D) and two informal (−P, −D) situations. The results suggest that although several aspects of the learners’ pragmatic competence develop with increasing proficiency, even the advanced learners’ performance lags far behind native speakers in several respects. Furthermore, it is shown that these learners’ behaviors lend considerable support to both the developmental stages of pragmatic competence acknowledged in the relevant literature (Ellis, 1992; Achiba, 2003) and to Bialystok's model regarding the acquisition of pragmatic competence. What is more, it lends a great deal of cross-linguistic validity to earlier finding regarding the development of requests in the interlanguage of FL learners.

The effects of pragmatic consciousness-raising activity on the development of pragmatic awareness and use of hearsay evidential markers for learners of Japanese as a foreign language

This study investigates the effects of pragmatic consciousness-raising (PCR) activities in the acquisition of pragmatic competence, focusing on hearsay evidential markers such as rashii ‘I heard that’ in Japanese. PCR is an inductive approach to facilitating awareness of how language forms are used appropriately in a given context. Schmidt (1995) has proposed in his noticing hypothesis that L2 learners must first demonstrate a conscious awareness of some particular form in the input before any subsequent processing or intake of that noticed form can take place. This study explores the question of whether awareness is necessary for L2 pragmatic learning. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test/delayed post-test format was adopted. Forty-one learners of Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) were divided into two groups: the PCR treatment group and the control group. The tests consisted of metapragmatic knowledge tests and an oral discourse production test. In total, four treatment sessions were given to the PCR group just before the post-tests. This study showed that the PCR group performs better than the control group on both the immediate post-tests and the delayed post-tests. Through the PCR activities, JFL learners may become aware of critical differences between L1 and L2, and enhance their L2 pragmatic competence successfully.

The Effects of Deductive and Inductive Instruction on the Development of Language Learners' Pragmatic Competence

The present study investigated the effects of deductive and inductive teaching approaches to the acquisition of pragmatic competence on learners of English as a foreign language. In this study, 60 adult native speakers of Japanese with intermediate‐level proficiency in English were each randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups, which consisted of 3 treatment groups and 1 control group. Each treatment group received one of the following kinds of instruction in English pragmatics: (a) deductive instruction, (b) inductive instruction with problem‐solving tasks, or (c) inductive instruction with structured input tasks. Both the deductive and inductive approaches constituted different types of explicit input‐based instruction. The purpose was to teach the learners how to use lexical/phrasal downgraders and syntactic downgraders in English to perform complex requests. All participants completed a pretest, a posttest, and a follow‐up test. Each test included 2 receptive judgment tasks and 2 production tasks. The 3 treatment groups performed significantly better than the control group (p < .006). However, for the listening test, only the participants in the deductive instruction group showed a reduction in the positive effects of the treatment between the posttest and the follow‐up test.

Competenza pragmatica e complessità sintattica in italiano L2: l’uso dei modificatori nelle richieste

Although there is evidence to suggest that the development of pragmatic competence is closely linked to that of grammatical competence, the exact nature of the relationship is yet unknown. In light of the well established fact that even the pragmatic competence of advanced L2 learners is mostly incomplete, in SLA it is generally accepted that grammatical competence does not necessarily imply pragmatic competence. A lack of grammatical competence, however, can seriously affect a learner’s capacity of being communicatively successful. The level of grammatical competence, therefore, seems to act as a constraint on the acquisition of pragmatic competence. The present article discusses the results of an experiment, designed to examine the use of modifiers in requests, in relation to syntactic complexity in Italian L2, carried out among 46 Dutch university students, with a low-intermediate proficiency level of Italian. The linguistic focus of the study is on the use of so-called modifiers, which can be employed to mitigate the illocutionary force of a speech act. For beginning L2 learners the use of modifiers is often particularly difficult. With increasing proficiency, the use of modifiers moves towards native-like use, but hardly ever reaches the L1-norm In the study participants had to perform an interactive oral task, consisting of a video-recorded role-play, based on a short situational description. Syntactic complexity was defined in terms of the number of words, clauses and subclauses per AS-unit. A cloze test was administered to establish the general level of L2 proficiency. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications for further research into the interface between the development of pragmatics and syntactic complexity.