L2 Pragmatic Development Research Articles

L2 Pragmatic Development in Constructing and Negotiating Contextual Meanings

Abstract The way in which L2 learners construct pragmatic and social meanings, including stances and identities, is emerging as an important research concern. In this study, we explore how L2 learners develop the ability to construct and negotiate pragmatic and social meanings, with a focus on meanings manifested in specific contexts, namely, contextual meanings. Specifically, we trace the development made by a group of 30 L2 Korean learners in their understanding of the contextual meanings of Korean first-person pronouns over the provision of L1- and L2-generated input and an awareness raising activity. Our findings reveal that provision of input of the underlying stereotypical meanings facilitated learners’ (re-)construction and negotiation of contextual meanings. The learners developed from oversimplistic form-meaning connections to more context-based and internally logical interpretations of contextual meanings, constructed new contextual meanings from the input, and agentively negotiated between the input and their existing indexical systems. The findings raise important pedagogical implications, including reconsideration of the assessment of pragmatic and sociolinguistic competence.

L2 pragmatic development by early teenagers in study abroad and foreign language settings: a focus on pragmatic markers

ABSTRACT Second Language Pragmatics (L2 pragmatics) research focused on the study abroad (SA) context points out the benefits of this context for second language (L2) pragmatic development while also illustrating the non-linearity of this development, as it is shaped by different contextual factors and individual differences. Nevertheless, this research has primarily focused on adult learners, and little is known about how children and adolescents learn L2 pragmatics in SA. The present study investigates how pragmatic markers (PMs) develop in young English language learners in two learning contexts: SA and at home (AH). More particularly, the study examines differences in the frequency and type of PMs across these contexts. Thirty-four Catalan/Spanish girls aged 12, learning English at home (n = 16) and in an SA context in Ireland (n = 18), participated in the study. Participants were interviewed before and after their SA experience, and the results revealed no statistically significant differences from pre- to post-test in the AH group, with only one observed in the SA group. Only one significant difference was found between the two groups in favour of the SA group. Hence, the study sheds more light on the complexity entailed in the phenomenon of L2 pragmatic development during SA.

The Influence of Game-Enhanced Communication on EFL Learners’ Pragmatic Competence in Compliment Responses

Abstract A small number of studies have explored the effects of digital gaming on second/foreign language (L2) pragmatic competence. However, the effectiveness of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) germane to L2 pragmatic development remains unclear because most game-mediated pragmatics studies have focused on educational games. Adopting the interactionist approach, this pretest-immediate-posttest-delayed-posttest study investigated the influence of an MMORPG on L2 learners’ pragmatic competence in compliment responses. Specifically, 105 English-as-a-foreign-language learners from a university in China interacted with L1-English-speaking players in World of Warcraft for four weeks. Unlike most studies that have conducted discourse completion tasks for data collection, compliment responses were gathered through computer-mediated communication with L1-English-speaking interlocutors on WeChat. Results showed that the learners tended to deny compliments on the pretest, whereas they preferred to accept praise on the immediate and delayed posttests. Implications for language policy-making and teaching are discussed regarding the usefulness of MMORPGs for learners who are not immersed in the environment of the target language or have few opportunities to go abroad to experience various social contexts in an L2.

The relationship between sociocultural adaptation and L2 pragmatic development during online study abroad

Although several linguists have examined the studies on study abroad (SA), limited studies have focused on online study-abroad contexts. The current study investigates the production of pragmatic routine and its influence on online sociocultural adaptation during online study abroad. This study involved Indonesian students in English and Chinese-taught programs at Beihang University, China. As a mixed method, this study uses Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) and Sociocultural Adaptation Scale (SCAS) to measure the students’ pragmatic routines production and online sociocultural adaptation. VKS scale is used to investigate the expression categories, including expressions of thanking, requesting, complementing, and greeting. In addition, SCAS is also used to explore the students’ sociocultural aspects, cognitive aspects, and behavioral situations. As a result, the study shows that most Indonesian students enrolling in Chinese and English-taught programs tend to produce pragmatic routines even though the Chinese aspect is produced more than the English aspect. Furthermore, there is also a positive contribution to the production of pragmatic routine and its development influenced by sociocultural adaptation during online study abroad.

The effects of interleaved and blocked corpus-based practice on L2 pragmatic development

AbstractA handful of second/foreign language (L2) studies have examined the effects of practice schedules and reported the advantage of interleaved practice (i.e., practice multiple skills simultaneously) over blocked practice (i.e., practice one skill first and then proceed to the next one). However, no studies in the realm of L2 pragmatics have explored this theme. This study investigated the influence of interleaved corpus-based practice and blocked corpus-based practice on L2 pragmatic development. Sixty-three L2 learners of English from a university in China received instruction on two pragmatic features: suggestions and requests. After the instruction, they were randomly assigned to an interleaved-practice group (n= 31) or a blocked-practice group (n= 32). Results from multimedia discourse completion tasks on the immediate and delayed posttests showed facilitative and long-term effects of interleaved practice on pragmatic accuracy. Moreover, the results revealed positive and durable influence of blocked practice on fluency. Implications are discussed.

When In Rome: Maximizing L2 Pragmatic Development in Study Abroad

The onset of COVID-19 has prompted world language professionals to reconceptualize best practices in second language (L2) teaching and research during a time of limited interaction due to social distancing across the globe (Morris, 2022). Not surprisingly, study abroad programs that once fostered communicative and intercultural development were put on pause, also halting opportunities for the transformative learning that can occur in immersion contexts (Leaver et al., 2021). Because study abroad can provide L2 learners with authentic L2 input and opportunities for meaningful interaction in diverse social contexts in ways that traditional classrooms simply cannot replicate, it provides fertile ground for L2 pragmatic development, particularly when supported with explicit instruction (Morris, 2017). This paper provides evidence from two studies of pragmatics that justifies the importance of getting back abroad to maximize L2 pragmatic development. The first study of 16 advanced L2 Spanish learners at home revealed limited pragmatic knowledge among all participants, including those who had studied abroad, thus pointing out the shortcomings of uninstructed pragmatic development. The second study of beginning L2 Spanish learners abroad confirmed the development of pragmatic competence among all students, particularly those who received a task-based instructional treatment. These studies signal that it is not only important to get back to Rome, per se, but also essential to support students in discovering what the Romans do, along with how, when, and why they do it, thus supporting their communicative effectiveness both in and out of the classroom as we move through and beyond the pandemic.

The influence of practice contexts on L2 learners’ compliment responses: telecollaborative video-based practice versus face-to-face practice

The role of practice has been largely overlooked in second/foreign (L2) pragmatics research. Furthermore, very few studies have directly compared the effects of different practice contexts (e.g. practice in a telecollaborative context versus practice in a face-to-face context) on L2 learners’ pragmatic competence (e.g. in compliment responses [CRs]). Adopting the Skill Acquisition Theory (DeKeyser, 2015), the current study is the first to compare the influence of telecollaborative video-based practice and traditional face-to-face practice on L2 learners’ pragmatic competence in CRs. Sixty-five third-year college students from a university in China received instruction on CRs. After the instruction, they were randomly assigned to a telecollaborative video-based group or a face-to-face group. Thirty-three learners participated in three-week video-based telecollaboration with first language (L1) speakers of English via WeChat (a multi-purpose application including making video calls), whereas 32 students engaged in three-week face-to-face communication with the L1 speakers of English in a classroom. The results from multi-modal discourse completion tasks on the immediate and delayed post-tests revealed that the telecollaborative video-based group outperformed the face-to-face group in pragmalinguistic accuracy, fluency, and diversity of CR strategies, demonstrating a facilitative and long-term influence of telecollaborative video-based practice on L2 pragmatic development. Pedagogical implications for L2 instructors are discussed (e.g. incorporating deliberate, authentic, and engaging telecollaborative activities into curricula).

Bidirectional relationship between L2 pragmatic development and learner identity in a study abroad context

In recent years, the connection between learner identity and learning of L2 pragmatics has received more attention in applied linguistic research. Nevertheless, investigations on this topic have mainly focused on the role of learners' identity in their L2 pragmatic choices. The reverse influence has not been adequately investigated in empirical studies – how learning of L2 pragmatics could potentially foster learners' identity change. This article aims to expand our understanding of the link between identity and L2 pragmatic development in the study abroad context by describing a longitudinal case study which tracked the experiences of four Chinese postgraduate students sojourning in the UK. Data were generated through interviews and online chat over a 12-month period. Findings indicate a bidirectional influence between L2 pragmatics development and learners' sense of self: learners’ pragmatic judgements and preferences are influenced by identity-related factors, such as internalised cultural values and their perceived foreigner and ELF identities; in return, exposure to new L2 pragmatic features can prompt learner reflection on interpersonal relationships and self-positioning, which may then lead to identity development.

The Influence of Combining Computer-Assisted Language Learning With Instruction on Chinese College Students’ L2 Pragmatic Ability

AbstractIn the area of computer-assisted language learning (CALL), although a number of studies have adopted various CALL-based devices (e. g., blogs, gaming, and synthetic environments) to foster second language (L2) acquisition, the vital component of instruction has received little attention. The present study explored the usefulness of CALL-based communication in conjunction with instruction on EFL learners’ L2 pragmatic development. Sixty-two EFL students from a university in China were recruited for the current research. The experimental group communicated with a native English speaker through synchronous messaging via Skype and had two instructional sessions pertinent to compliment responses, while the control group interacted with a native English speaker via Skype without having the teaching intervention. Findings from an independent samplest-test demonstrated that the experimental group produced significantly more proper compliment responses in the immediate posttest than the control group (p< . 001). Moreover, a significant difference (p< . 001) was found for the experimental group between the pre-intervention and delayed post-intervention mean scores, suggesting that CALL coupled with teaching intervention had a long-term impact on learners’ L2 pragmatic development. These findings enrich our understanding of the beneficial and lasting influence of combining CALL with instruction on EFL students’ pragmatic development. In addition, pedagogical implications for deploying CALL paired with L2 pragmatics instruction are provided.

Second language pragmatic development in study abroad contexts

AbstractThis special issue illustrates current research on the development of second language (L2) pragmatic competence in study abroad (SA) contexts. In doing so, it accounts for the complexity entailed in learning the linguistic and sociocultural norms of interaction with people of diverse backgrounds while facing the multiple challenges involved in adapting to a new and unknown setting. This introduction to the special issue presents key topics and previous findings that frame such processes of L2 pragmatic development. These include (1) a description ofstudy abroadas a context for L2 pragmatic development, (2) pragmatic targets that students learn during SA, (3) internal and external factors that are likely to play a role in the learning process, and (4) the role of instruction in helping students maximize their stays abroad in terms of pragmatic learning. Finally, an overview of the articles included in this special issue is provided, highlighting how they contribute to the key themes illustrated throughout this introductory section.

Virtual exchange and L2 pragmatic development: analysing learners' formulation of compliments in L2

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to investigate how L2 learners develop their ways of expressing compliments in L2 as a result of a virtual exchange. Although compliments play an important role in the discourse of second language (L2) classrooms studies exploring production of this speech act among L2 learners are limited. This study explores how 18 participants realised the speech act of complimenting in English before and after their virtual exchange. L2 learners of English from Poland met in groups for six weeks, via video conferencing, with Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) teacher candidates from a university in the USA. During online sessions, the eighteen L2 learners’ primary focus was on discussion in English. Quantitative content analyses were completed on the students’ production and were further analysed qualitatively using NVivo 12 into researcher-created categories. The data provided evidence of change from pre- to post-testing in the ways the compliments were formulated by the L2 learners and of transition from strong L1-culture transfer, to some more appropriate use of the formulaic sequences in L2.

Technology-mediated tasks for the development of L2 pragmatics

Developing pragmatic competence implies the learning of the norms and principles that affect the behavior of participants in a culture (i.e. sociopragmatics) and the ability to choose the language to realize those norms (i.e. pragmalinguistics). Learning to be pragmatically appropriate in the second language (L2) is not easy, and although it is possible without instruction, research shows that instruction helps development (Plonsky & Zhuang, 2019). This article advocates that technology-mediated tasks are an excellent and effective pedagogic tool to promote L2 pragmatic development. The article will introduce some key findings of studies that incorporate technology and pragmatics as well as those that have investigated tasks and L2 pragmatics to then focus on those studies that incorporate the three elements: tasks, technology and L2 pragmatics. These studies are grouped by their main focus of investigation: (1) the task, (2) the technology, or (3) the L2 pragmatic feature. As a whole, these studies show the possibilities that tasks and technology-mediated contexts have to engage learners in discursive practices that may not be possible otherwise, exposing them to the cyberpragmatics of an ever-growing digital world. Finally, lines of new research to advance the field are suggested.

Classroom learning of English L2 requests: Input and interactional opportunities in French secondary schools

With today’s strong focus on communicative competence in second language (L2) classrooms, speech acts like suggestions, requests, refusals, and apologies are often investigated in interlanguage pragmatic (ILP) as well as instructional pragmatics. Even though there is strong evidence in ILP research that purports that L2 learners respond well to pragmatic instruction (Taguchi, 2015), the teaching of L2 pragmatics is not always prioritized in textbooks, teaching programmes or teacher education (Barron, 2016; Savvidou & Economidou-Kogetsidis, 2019) with the consequence that pragmatic learning can only occur incidentally. The present study examines opportunities to acquire L2 requests for 308 English as a foreign language (EFL) learners across 7 years of instruction in French secondary schools, investigating textbooks preferred by teachers, classroom interaction (39 hours), and teacher perspectives (semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers). After a pragmatic analysis of 15 EFL textbooks with a focus on requests, the study examines the incidence of metapragmatic input in 39 hours of teaching in 13 classes at 3 levels, and relates interactional patterns with interview data from the 10 teachers concerned. Findings suggest limited pragmatic input in both textbooks and classroom interaction. By comparing the profiles of teachers who encouraged L2 requests with those who did not, the study offers new explanations for L2 learners’ limited pragmatic development which also broadly corroborate previous findings of somewhat limited potential for L2 pragmatic development in obligatory school contexts.

Comprehending implied meaning

AbstractThis study investigated the extent to which proficiency, length of residence, and intensity of interaction in a target language affect L2 learners’ pragmatic ability in comprehending conversational implicature and indirect speech acts. 68 participants, 38 L1 English and 30 L2 English users, completed two measures: a pragmatic listening test measuring implied meaning comprehension and a language contact profile survey identifying length of residence and intensity of L2 interaction. The standard multiple regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between implied meaning comprehension and learners’ proficiency, length of residence, and intensity of interaction. Together, these factors explained a significant amount of the variance in learners’ overall comprehension ability, with proficiency being the strongest predictor, followed by intensity of interaction, then length of residence. Findings also showed that while it was more challenging for the less proficient learners to comprehend conversational implicature than indirect speech acts, there was no significant difference between the two types for the higher proficiency group. Further analysis of the L2 interaction types indicated a significant, moderate relationship between the time spent speaking and learners’ implied meaning comprehension. These findings offer pedagogical and methodological implications for L2 pragmatic development.

Combining computer-mediated communication with data-driven instruction: EFL learners’ pragmatic development of compliment responses

The use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) combined with data-driven instruction to facilitate second/foreign language (L2) pragmatic development has been shown to be promising. Despite increasing amounts of CMC-based interventional studies of L2 pragmatics, existing literature is inconclusive concerning the influence of CMC paired with data-driven instruction on L2 pragmatic competence. Moreover, few studies have incorporated qualitative analyses exploring factors that affect L2 learners' pragmatic decision-making. Thus, this mixed-methods study aimed to further investigate the effect of CMC on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ pragmatic development of compliment responses (CRs) in two conditions: CMC by itself and CMC combined with data-driven instruction. Fifty-nine university-level Chinese EFL students were divided into two groups; the experimental group engaged in CMC with native speakers and received data-driven instruction in CRs, whereas the control group had CMC without data-driven instruction. Results revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in the immediate and delayed post-intervention tests regarding appropriateness and variety, indicating a positive and durable effect of CMC coupled with data-driven instruction on L2 pragmatic development. Additionally, findings from retrospective interviews showed that L2 pragmatic knowledge, crosslinguistic influence, and online processing load potentially influence L2 pragmatic choices. Implications for instructors are discussed.

Proficiency and pragmatic production in L2 Chinese study abroad

This study documented the development of pragmatic production and proficiency of L2 Chinese learners in a study abroad context and explored the relationship between proficiency and L2 pragmatic development. The participants were 129 learners of Chinese who attended a 15-week study abroad program in China. At the beginning and end of their program study, all participants completed a Chinese proficiency test and a Chinese simulated oral proficiency interview. The results showed that the learners’ pragmatic production and proficiency both improved from the pretest to posttest, but the pragmatic improvement did not relate to their proficiency development in study abroad. The findings might be explained by varying levels of development in learners’ proficiency and pragmatic production during study abroad.

Children's requestive behavior in L2 Greek: The core request

In interlanguage pragmatics, the request development of young learners has been rather underresearched, often without being compared with baseline (L1) data. The present study explores the request behavior of two intermediate proficiency groups of primary school children (8- and 11-year-olds, respectively) who learn Greek in an immersion setting. A Cartoon Oral Production Task was designed to elicit requests of differentiated degree of imposition which were addressed to familiars and strangers, adults or peers. The base constructions which emerged from the data analysis were compared to those deployed by age-matched L1 Greek-speaking children. The L2 participants of the study exhibited a more extended requestive repertoire and a more sophisticated sociopragmatic sensitivity than reported in previous research. Convergences and divergences from their L1 peers’ behavior across communicative situations point to a developmental phase in their interlanguage which could be best pictured as midways along the path defined by the pragmalinguistics-sociopragmatics continuum. Findings of the study can more generally contribute to descriptive and methodological issues in child L2 pragmatic development research.

Learning through WhatsApp: students’ beliefs, L2 pragmatic development and interpersonal relationships

By using small focus group discussions, the present study aims to gain insight into students’ perceptions about the impact of WhatsApp use in their learning process. More specifically, this study presents a cross-cultural analysis of British and Spanish university students’ personal beliefs about the effectiveness of using WhatsApp to complete group tasks outside the classroom. In so doing, this research represents a step forward in technology-enhanced instruction insofar as it not only incorporates the voices of learners themselves, but also contrasts students’ beliefs with their group interactions on WhatsApp. The exploration of these WhatsApp interactions makes it possible to argue that the use of WhatsApp does not seem to create a natural context for non-native language users to produce contextualise relevant utterances while interacting with native English speakers. Furthermore, the results show that the lack of pragmatic competence on the part of the participants prevents them from communicating effectively. These pragmatic failures, in turn, have a negative impact on their interpersonal relationships and make them develop negative opinions towards the use of WhatsApp as a learning tool.

Second language pragmatics: a corpus-based study of the pragmatic marker like

This paper presents the extent to which like is used as a pragmatic marker (PM) by Brazilian university students living in Ireland. This is a case study which is part of a broader PhD research project on L2 pragmatic development within a study-abroad context. The results and reflections of this study are based on a sample corpus of spoken language, which comprises four 30-minute informal interactions between 6 participants and the researcher. Drawing on the Limerick Corpus of Irish English, a representative corpus of spoken Irish English (IrE), the interpersonal functions and procedural meanings of the PM like in the participants’ L2 are compared and contrasted against those of the IrE data. Quantitatively, the PM like is found to be a keyword in the L2 corpus and three times more frequent by comparison to the IrE data. Qualitatively, this study shows evidence of like being used multifunctionally by the L2-speakers of English, with all functions of the PM also previously described in the literature on IrE. However, some specific functional patterns also emerge from the L2 data, which indicates the pragmatic needs and linguistic demands which may arise during communication when using an L2.***Pragmática da segunda língua: um estudo de corpus do marcador pragmático like***Este artigo apresenta a extensão com que like é usado como marcador pragmático (MP) por brasileiros universitários na Irlanda. Este é um estudo de caso, e parte de um projeto de pesquisa de doutorado sobre o desenvolvimento da pragmática da segunda língua (L2) no contexto de intercâmbio. Os resultados e reflexões deste estudo são embasados em uma amostra de um corpus de língua falada, que é constituído de quatro interações informais de 30 minutos entre 6 participantes e o pesquisador. Tendo como referência o Limerick Corpus of Irish English, um corpus representativo do inglês irlandês falado, as funções interpessoais e os significados procedurais do MP like usados pelos participantes são comparados e contrastados. Quantitativamente, o MP like se encontra como uma palavra-chave no corpus de L2, e é três vezes mais frequente se comparado com os dados do inglês irlandês. Qualitativamente, este estudo evidencia a multifuncionalidade de like na L2 dos participantes, sendo todas as funções usadas pelos participantes também previamente descritas na literatura sobre o inglês irlandês. Contudo, alguns padrões funcionais específicos também emergem do corpus de L2, o que indica as necessidades pragmáticas e exigências linguísticas que podem surgir durante a comunicação quando usando uma L2.

An Interlanguage Study of Thai EFL Learners’ Apology

Although a number of interlanguage studies on apologies have been conducted, there has been no study of apologies among Thai EFL learners that differentiates between learners with high and low levels of exposure to the target language. This study, differentiating between learners with high and low levels of exposure to the target language, addresses two research questions: (i) What are the similarities and differences between perception of offense context of Thai EFL learners and native speakers of English? (ii) What are the similarities and differences between apology strategies used by Thai EFL learners and native speakers of English? Data for the analysis came from a questionnaire consisting of 12 scenarios eliciting different offense contexts. The participants were divided into four groups: native speakers of English (NEs), native speakers of Thai (NTs), Thai EFL learners with high exposure to the target language (TEHs) and Thai EFL learners with low exposure to the target language (TELs). The results revealed that due to the influence of cultural background, the learners’ perception of offense context was dissimilar to the NEs in certain respects. However, the investigation of apology strategies showed that compared to the TELs, the TEHs’ apology strategies tended to be less influenced by their cultural background and more similar to the NEs’. Providing support for levels of exposure to the target language, as individual differences vary in L2 pragmatic development, the study sheds light on pedagogical intervention that may enhance learners’ pragmatic competence.