Pragmatic Competence Research Articles

Evaluating Pragmatic Competence in Language Learners Through an Assessment of Current Measurement Tools

This study reviews and evaluates current tools used to measure pragmatic competence in language learners. Pragmatic competence—the ability to use language appropriately in social contexts—is essential for effective communication in a second language. This article assesses various measurement tools, including discourse completion tests (DCTs), role-plays, self-assessment surveys, and technology-assisted assessments, analyzing their effectiveness and limitations. Findings suggest that each tool offers unique benefits, though a combination of traditional and digital methods provides the most comprehensive evaluation. The study concludes that blending these approaches allows for a more accurate assessment of pragmatic competence, supporting language educators in creating balanced evaluations for language learners.

4th Year EFL Iraqi Leaners' Pragmatic Failure in Polysemy

This paper is an endeavor to identify the failure of EFL Iraqi learners when they are asked to realize the meaning of polysemous words in their context. The model of analysis is Thomas's (1983) "pragmatic failure"(PF). Polysemous words have different meanings. There are two kinds of polysemy: semantic and pragmatic polysemy. The important part of the study at hand is pragmatic polysemy, which is the pragmatic meaning that results from polysemous words through the intentionality of the speakers, as these words leave a free space for their speakers to pick the meaning they want to communicate. Besides, these meanings may mingle on the part of the listeners in native language speakers and listeners, so polysemous words would, of course, constitute a problem for the learners of English. Again, it is believed that the lack of both linguistic and pragmatic competence is the result of this pragmatic failure.

Study of pragmatic analysis of literature on the development of ELT students’ receptive and productive skills: A case of North Cyprus

Language serves as a mirror reflecting our understanding of the world and mirrors the world of literature. Pragmatics extends beyond mere literal interpretation, delving into comprehending subtle implications, varying expressions and lexical ambiguities. This deepens our exploration and appreciation of the world of literature. It is worth investigating whether pragmatic instruction can improve students' language awareness and competence. To this end, a quasi-experimental study involving the students of two English language teaching (ELT) classes was conducted to determine whether pragmatic treatment could enhance students' comprehension skills and to identify how effectively the pragmatic understanding of literature through Shakespeare's language could aid the development of receptive and productive skills in ELT students. Participants took two pre-tests: multiple-choice discourse completion task (MCDCT) and discourse completion task (DCT) based on Othello. After the treatment, the same tests were administered as post-tests. Results showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in comprehension skills. Cohen's D effect size calculation confirmed the practical usefulness of the treatment and the significant difference between the two groups. The study concludes that pragmatic training using literary texts contributes to developing ELT students' pragmatic competence.

L2 Pragmatic Competence in Chinese EFL Routines, written by Yuqi Wang

L2 Pragmatic Competence in Chinese EFL Routines, written by Yuqi Wang

How language teachers can go beyond speech etiquette: Adapting L2 Russian coursebooks to improve pragmatic competence

Within the field of RKI – russkij kak inostrannyj ‘Russian as a Foreign Language/L2 Russian’, so far little attention has been paid to teaching pragmatic competence, as the issues of language in context are traditionally covered by the subject rečevoj ėtiket ‘speech etiquette’, leaving pragmatics an underexplored field.The present study aims to analyze whether and to what extent current L2 Russian textbooks introduce topics related to pragmatics and, if so, how the existing material can be adapted to improve explicit instruction of pragmatic competence.The analysis was conducted on two handbooks of Russian rečevoj ėtiket ‘speech etiquette’ for L2 learners and a series of four textbooks designed for L1 Italian learners. Data analysis confirms the global tendency for textbooks to provide scarce to null meta-pragmatic explanations. The coursebooks were then searched for elements related to the speech act of request, and the materials were adapted to fit explicit pragmatic instruction. The material adaptations proposed in the current study are based on previous research on Russian pragmatics and L2 pragmatics and aim to overcome the ethno-nationalistic perspective of speech etiquette toward a more transnational Russophone context. Implications for teacher education are presented.

Linguistic Basics of the Formation of Students’ Pragmatic Competence

This article discusses the linguistic foundations of the formation of pragmatic competence of students. A review of the history of the formation and study of the term “pragmatic competence” is provided. Similar and related terms with this term are also analyzed, as well as the views and conclusions of domestic and foreign linguists, methodologists, and scholars. To develop a methodology for the formation of pragmatic competence of students, it is crucial to find out its theoretical and methodological foundations; therefore the purpose of this article is to identify the linguistic features of this issue. It is known that the indicator of the personal quality of schoolchildren is equivalent to the indicator of their socialization. The totality of the knowledge, skills, and abilities formed in a child will have a significant influence on their correct and appropriate socialization within their environment in the future. The existence of a close relationship between linguistic, communicative, and pragmatic competencies requires the use of complex methods in solving their common tasks. The study found that the concept of competence has been studied from different perspectives. The main characteristics and indicators of pragmatic competence are established, as well as the concepts of their manifestations in the language environment are presented. The influence of new trends in the field of linguistics on the formation of pragmatic competence is also considered. Several methods that can be used when teaching the Kazakh language are examined. An attempt has been made to find language solutions that contribute to the development of pragmatic competence.

The Effect of Activities-Based Teaching in The English Context on EFL University Students

This study presents a pragmatic approach focusing on the meaning of speech and knowledge regarding the undergraduate students' understanding and utilization of speech act ‘request’ within the Department of English Language at the College of Arts. Quantitative approach has been employed to analyze request strategies by using an open-ended questionnaire comprising sixteen diverse scenarios to gather data on various request speech acts. The study investigates the effectiveness of instructional interventions in developing students' proficiency in this speech act. The findings from the pre-tests revealed that students exhibited comparable performance across all three strategies: direct requests, conventionally indirect requests, and non-conventionally indirect requests have been assessed in terms of both awareness and production levels. Despite the initial similarity in performance among learners, substantial improvements have been observed after the instructional phase. Specifically, individuals within the experimental group demonstrated notable enhancements in their awareness and production of requests, coupled with a decreased reliance on direct request strategies. These findings underscore the potential for pragmatics instruction rich in input to enhance learners' identification and utilization of suitable pragmatic elements within diverse social contexts. Overall, the study highlights the importance of pragmatic education in foreign language learning, suggesting its efficacy in fostering learners' pragmatic competence.

Fostering Pragmatic Proficiency: The Influence of Explicit Instruction on Plurilingual EFL Learners’ Mastery of Hedging Devices in Canadian Academic Writing Context

Hedging academic claims is a crucial aspect of scholarly writing that presents challenges for many non-native English-speaking academic authors. Scholars, such as Hyland (2021), have emphasized the vital role of explicit instructional interventions in raising awareness about hedging devices among Plurilingual non-native English writers. This is particularly relevant considering the nuanced nature of certain hedging devices, characterized by polysemy and polypragmatics. This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of explicit instruction in enhancing the pragmatic competence of non-native English-speaking learners, with a specific focus on the acquisition and application of English modal auxiliaries as hedging mechanisms within an academic context. In this study, a group of 37 non-native English-speaking College students, representing various academic disciplines, were purposefully selected from Sommet College located in Greater Montreal area, and divided into two groups: a control group and an experimental group. The control group received conventional academic writing instruction, while the experimental group underwent explicit instruction on the use of modal auxiliaries for hedging in their academic writing. Both groups completed pretests and post-tests as part of the evaluation process. Analysis of the test scores and t-test results revealed a significant improvement in linguistic and pragmatic proficiency concerning the use of modal auxiliaries for hedging within the experimental group. Moreover, the findings demonstrated the superior performance of the experimental group in employing modal verbs for hedging purposes. The findings of this study have broader implications that reach beyond pedagogical practice, resonating with educational program administrators and curriculum developers. These results underscore the importance of including explicit instruction on hedging devices, particularly modal auxiliaries, to bolster the academic writing skills of non-native plurilingual English-speaking learners.

Is it up to language? Pragmatic competence in Croatian preschool children with autism and typical development

Objectives The relationship between structural language ability and pragmatics is not fully understood, in either individuals with autism or those with typical development (TD). Despite the well-established understanding that core deficits in autism lie in pragmatics, specific pragmatic behaviours that distinguish autistic children (AC) from their TD peers are not sufficiently described. The aims of this study were as follows: to investigate the differences in language abilities and pragmatic competence between AC and those with TD; to examine the relationship between language comprehension/production and pragmatic competence in both groups; and to identify the items of pragmatic composite that are most discriminative in detecting AC. Methods The participants in this study were preschool-aged children with TD (N = 45; mean age 65.5 months) and AC with average nonverbal IQ scores (N = 32; mean age 72.9 months). Language production and comprehension abilities were assessed using the New Reynell Developmental Language Scales (4th edition), and pragmatic competence was measured using the Children’s Communication Checklist (CCC). Results For all language and pragmatic variables, AC performed worse than those with TD. Pragmatic competencies did not correlate with structural language skills in either group, except for a correlation between language production and coherence in the TD. Finally, certain pragmatic behaviours common to many AC and rarely found in children with TD were identified as potential distinguishing features between the two groups. Conclusions This study underscores the importance of incorporating pragmatic assessments alongside traditional language evaluations and suggests that interventions should target pragmatic competence specifically, especially in preschool AC.

Managing Intercultural Business Relations: Metapragmatic Expressions in Online Negative Review Responses

The proliferation of mass media and online platforms has catalyzed the digital turn of business communication. This paper adopts an intercultural pragmatic perspective to explore the interpersonal functions of metapragmatic expressions (MPEs) in online negative review responses, an area that has received limited attention in earlier research, particularly with regard to the interpersonal dynamics in intercultural business settings. Based on 277 English negative reviews and responses gathered from TripAdvisor in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, this study found that agents use MPEs to manage rapport when responding to online negative reviews. More specifically, the interpersonal functions of MPEs are embodied in different move structures as they are used as common ground builders and salience adjusters. The present study advances our understanding of the MPEs in digital intercultural business communication and sheds light on metapragmatic awareness and intercultural pragmatic competence that are essential for managing business relations.

The Effect of an Instructional Program based on the Blended Learning Strategy in Enhancing English Pragmatic Competences among the Secondary Stage Students

The present study aimed at investigating the effect of an instructional program based on the blended learning strategy in enhancing English pragmatic competences among the secondary stage students in Saudi Arabia Kingdom. To fulfil the purpose of the study, the quasi-experimental design was adopted (pretest - post-test). The participants, totalling (56), were randomly selected form the second-year students in a public secondary school in Taif in Saudi Arabia. They were assigned into two groups: An experimental group (N= 28) that studied via an instructional program based on the blended learning strategy and a control one (N=28) that studied via the traditional method. The instrument consisted of a pragmatic competences tests to assess both discourse and functional competences. The results of the study revealed that: There was a statistically significant difference (α ≤ 0.05) between the mean scores of the control group and the experimental group in the post-administration of the pragmatic competence test, in favor of the experimental group. The study recommended developing Training English language teachers on how to exploit technology to boost collaboration among students and integrate the pragmatic competence teaching in their courses. In addition, the researcher suggested conducting further studies into blended learning strategy and pragmatic competences in English as a foreign language.

Pragmatic competence and pragmatic tolerance in foreign language acquisition—revisiting the case of scalar implicatures

Abstract Previous L2 studies used binary Truth-Value-Judgment (TVJ) tasks to investigate L1–L2 differences in scalar implicature derivation (some X implicates some but not all X). They examined participants’ judgments of sentences with weak scalar expressions (“Timothy ate some of the pretzels”) when stronger ones are true (“Timothy ate all of the pretzels”). Some studies indicate adult L2 learners are less likely than L1 users to accept such statements while others found the opposite, concluding that implicature derivation is “costly” for L2 learners, rendering them less pragmatically competent than L1 users. Importantly, related L1 research suggests that TVJ tasks only capture sensitivity to under-informativeness. This sensitivity might be completely overridden by metalinguistic attitudes in binary tasks, whereas graded tasks reveal nuanced judgment patterns. Exploring L2 response behaviors, we tested English L1 speakers and competent German L2 English learners using binary and graded tasks. In both tasks, we found evidence of pragmatic responding with no evidence of differences between groups. Bayes factor analyses of the graded data favored H0 over the hypotheses that L2 learners provide fewer or more rejections to under-informative input than L1 learners. We explore implications for L2 learners’ pragmatic abilities, differences with previous studies, and the role of TVJ tasks in under-informative contexts.

Teaching pragmatics to instructors of L2 Japanese: A relevance-theoretic approach

There are few continuing professional development (CPD) courses for language instructors who want to incorporate the teaching of pragmatics, particularly outside second and foreign language (L2) English and Spanish (e.g., Cohen et al., 2023; Vellenga, 2011). Furthermore, most courses rarely include pragmatics theories that describe the cognitive processes involved in communication. To address this gap, this study assesses what pre-service and in-service instructors of L2 Japanese (n = 9) know about pragmatics and presents data from a 3-hCPD course. The CPD is based on Sperber & Wilson's (1986/1995) Relevance Theory, an ostensive-inferential pragmatics theory that explains the cognitive mechanisms used to interpret utterances. These cognitive processes and how to teach them are explained through a pedagogical framework that equips instructors with the pragmatic knowledge and tools needed to help their learners achieve effective communication.A qualitative pre- and post-test was employed to ascertain instructors' knowledge of pragmatics and ability to activate their pragmatic competence. Focus groups with each cohort were conducted to gather insights into instructors' willingness and preparedness to teach pragmatics. The CPD increased both participants' understanding of pragmatics and knowledge of how to activate learners' pragmatic competence. The data also reveals differences between pre-service and in-service teachers, as well as native and non-native speakers’ willingness to include pragmatics in their teaching.

EFL Learners' Pragmatic Tolerance of Quantity Maxim Violation

The current study embarks on investigating Iraqi EFL learners' pragmatic tolerance of quantity maxim violations. Additionally, it seeks to shed light on Iraqi EFL learners' pragmatic abilities in deriving pragmatic inferences from utterances that contain violations of quantity maxim. The experimental work in the current study utilized two types of sentence judgment tasks. Binary sentence judgment task for investigating learners' pragmatic tolerance, and ternary judgment task for investigating learners' pragmatic competence. The study included two groups of participants. The first group included 50 participants from 2nd-year students, and the second included 50 from 4th-year students at the Department of English for the academic year 2023-2024; both groups judged underinformative scalar implicature utterances. The results with binary task data indicate that Iraqi EFL learners exhibit tolerance toward quantity maxim violations. However, the ternary judgment task results indicate that Iraqi learners are not competent enough to derive a pragmatic inference. Hence, the current study attempts to provide a comprehensive understanding of EFL learners' pragmatic abilities to derive implied meanings.

A Comparative Study of the L2 Pragmatic Competence of University Students in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland: The Contributions of Sociocultural Context and Linguistic Proficiency

A Comparative Study of the L2 Pragmatic Competence of University Students in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland: The Contributions of Sociocultural Context and Linguistic Proficiency

Fostering a translingual framework in teacher education focused on pragmatics: Identity and the multilingual turn in pragmatics pedagogy

As part of the multilingual turn in applied linguistics, practices in teacher education for L2 pragmatics should be reconsidered to highlight the interconnection between identity and pragmatics and explore ways to support learners' and teachers' multilingualism through pragmatics instruction. This paper aims to provide an overview of second language (L2) pragmatics research informed by a multilingual or translingual framework and to illustrate how teacher education can integrate its basic tenets into teachers’ professional development so that multicompetence can become a prominent goal in the teaching and assessment of pragmatic competence rather than monolingual native-speakerism.Although language teachers are often multilingual themselves, they may not readily see the potential of their own hybrid identities under the influence of a dominant monolingual ideology and thus may not spontaneously foster learners' multicompetence. Through an example of collaborative interactions in a teacher development course centered on pragmatics instruction, this paper will explore how teachers can jointly mediate their metapragmatic awareness while engaging in translingual pedagogy and strategically leverage their own translingual identity as pedagogy in teaching pragmatics. The paper will conclude by identifying three approaches to translingual pedagogy in pragmatics-focused instruction that acknowledges learners' and teachers’ multilingual repertoire and legitimatizes their voices, languages, and knowledge construction. (200 words).

DEVELOPING PRAGMATIC COMPETENCE OF UZBEK ESL LEARNERS THROUGH POSTMETHOD PEDAGOGY

This study investigates the effectiveness of a postmethod pedagogical approach in developing the pragmatic competence of Uzbek learners of English as a second language (ESL). The findings demonstrate the positive impact of the postmethod approach on enhancing the learners' pragmatic competence, providing valuable insights for ESL teaching and learning in the Uzbek context.

Request Strategies of EFL University Learners at Jambi University

Making appropriate requests is a crucial aspect of pragmatic competence in language learning. This research aimed to investigate common request strategies used by EFL University Learners at Jambi University when making requests at the ages of 19, 20, and 21. This research design was an intrinsic case study to gain an in-depth knowledge of the phenomenon within its specific context. Data were collected through a written discourse completion test (DCT) from six participants, two from each age group. They were analyzed using discourse analysis, specifically focusing on the request strategies proposed by Blum-Kulka and Olshtain (1984), Blum-Kulka (1987), and Trosborg (1995). The findings reveal that most participants employed conventionally indirect (hearer-based) strategies in the form of ability, willingness, and permission (25 times, 83.3% frequency of semantic formulas) and conventionally indirect request (speaker-based) strategies in the form of desires/needs (3 times, 10% frequency of semantic formulas), followed by direct request strategies in the form of performatives (2 times, 6.6% frequency of semantic formulas). The research concluded that conventionally indirect request strategies (hearer-based) in the form of ability, willingness, and permission are mostly used in making requests among the studied age groups. It also found that age influenced how social power as a social variable maintained smooth social interactions in making requests. Those different age groups exhibited diversities in the use of directness level in making requests based on the age gap between the speaker and the hearer. Additionally, the research indicates how the focus shifts to the hearer's wants as the speaker casts requests in various direct forms. This suggests that people tend to make requests subtly, especially within academic settings. These findings have important implications for language teaching and pragmatics instruction, potentially influencing approaches to improving learner awareness of appropriate request strategies in academic and social contexts.

Review of Translation Teaching for Postgraduates of Non-English Majors (2003-2023)

As international exchange continues to expand and intensify, E-C (English-Chinese) translation teaching for postgraduates of non-English majors, aimed at nurturing interdisciplinary talents equipped with both professional knowledge and pragmatic competence, has garnered widespread attention. Domestic scholars have explored the aspects of “teaching” and “learning” in E-C translation teaching for postgraduates of non-English majors from multiple dimensions. This paper reviews E-C translation teaching for postgraduates of non-English majors in China in the past two decades based on representative studies, sorts out the focus and current status of research, and looks forward to the future development of teaching practice. We found that universities generally advocate and adopt interdisciplinary teaching methods that integrate “foreign language” into “majors”, and E-C translation teaching for postgraduates of non-English majors also revealed aspects that urgently need to be improved. Therefore, reviewing and reflecting on research related to translation teaching and proposing targeted measures based on its current teaching challenges have extremely important theoretical and practical significance.

Pragmatic Competence in an Email Writing Task: Influences of Situation, L1 Background, and L2 Proficiency

The study examines a corpus of 306 request emails written by 32 English-speaking (ES) teachers and 121 L2 learners from distinctive L1 backgrounds (i.e., Chinese, French, Spanish) and with different levels of L2 proficiency. Pragmatic competence is analyzed through the coding of direct and indirect request strategies used in formal and informal email writing. Findings reveal the influences of communicative situation, L1 background, and L2 proficiency on pragmatic competence in email writing. First, L2 learners show a significantly lower degree of situational variability compared with ES teachers. Second, L1 backgrounds have a significant impact on L2 writing performance. Third, L2 learners with higher English proficiency tend to use more indirect request strategies, but they have not developed pragmatic competence to adjust their usage across written contexts. Findings are discussed in relation to pedagogical implications for developing writing competence of L2 learners, which should be attuned to diverse rhetorical expectations and individual needs.