5. The Role of Pragmatic Instruction in Developing Foreign Language Learners’ Pragmatic Competence

2005 ◽  
pp. 114-130
10.29007/5xsb ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Martínez-Flor ◽  
Esther Usó-Juan

Studies analysing the positive role of pragmatic instruction in formal settings have increased over the last decades. Within this area of interventional pragmatics, some studies have particularly examined whether the effectiveness of the instruction implemented is sustained over time. In order to shed more light on the long-term effects of instruction, this research investigates English as a Foreign Language learners’ use of complaining formulas not only after immediately receiving instruction, but also two months later. Results show that learners keep using a variety of appropriate complaining formulas two months after having participated in the instructional period. These findings are discussed and directions for future research suggested.


Neofilolog ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 103-117
Author(s):  
Ariadna Strugielska

The role of affective factors in the process of foreign language learning and teaching is undeniable. Still, despite growing interest in the role of attitudinal variables in foreign language training, the problem has not been much researched from the perspective of multidimensional cognition. Thus, the focus of the article is the architecture of foreign language learners’ cognition situated within a multimodal framework and shaped by particular socio-linguistic experience. It is postulated that the conceptual system of a foreign language learner is unique in being highly susceptible to processing in terms of affective parameters. This hypothesis is corroborated by the results of a pilot study which show that concrete words in the conceptual systems of foreign language learners are associated with affect more than in the case of native speakers.


Author(s):  
Günter Schmale

Print advertising very frequently refers to idioms containing verbal expressions of images conveying a figurative meaning. “Material” idiom's (photos, drawings, cartoons, etc.) in print adverts, in one way or another, depict the idioms’ literal meaning. Advertising plays on numerous forms of interaction between the idiomatic and material image (representation of literal meaning, implicit relation between visual element and verbal idiom, etc.). Following preliminary considerations on figurativeness and metaphoricity, 14 German print adverts are analysed with a focus on the role of the material image. Based on these analyses, reflections on the interpretability of the relation between idiomatic and material image by native speakers and foreign language learners are discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Azedah Nemati

Communication has verbal and nonverbal aspects.It has been estimated that 82% of class communication is nonverbal. While the role of nonverbal behavior in English classes is much it is hitherto an unexplored area. One subpart of nonverbal communication is proxemics or space. Combing nonverbal communication and the right to privacy, this article is aimed at exploring the attitude of foreign language students regarding nonverbal communication and privacy right in English classes. A nonverbal questionnaire along with privacy proposed by the researcher was answered by 107 general English participants. Based on their opinion the major findings were that students like, smiling, tidy and on time teachers who explain and illustrate in English classes. However, they do not like to answer questions regarding their personal life such as personal description, identification, health or background. As a result, their privacy right should be observed in communicative English classes.


Pragmatics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spyridoula Bella

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei Liu ◽  
Balachandran Vadivel ◽  
Ehsan Rezvani ◽  
Ehsan Namaziandost

This study aims to find out the role of games in promoting students’ willingness to communicate (WTC) and their teachers’ attitude toward it. In order to collect the data, the researchers employed a 28-item questionnaire which was given to 60 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in an English institute. Then, the students were randomly divided into two groups of 30 learners functioning as control and experimental groups. The students in the experimental group received games in their language lessons and classes, while control group learners did not. At the end of the term, the same questionnaire was given to the students to know if playing games had a significant impact on their WTC. In addition, the teachers were asked to answer a 30-item questionnaire to investigate their attitudes toward playing games in language classes. The results showed that most of the teachers in this study believe that games have a positive influence on the students’ attitudes towards learning English and that using them in class serves many educational purposes. In addition, games played a significant role in improving the EFL leaners’ willingness to communicate. In the light of these findings, the researchers suggested using games as energizers and practical activities at the end of class not only to improve enthusiasm for learning, but also to improve the learners’ WTC.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 1308
Author(s):  
Xiaojing Chen

Language is used for communication. Pragmatic competence, which is essential in English teaching, is an important component of communicative competence. The development of pragmatic competence will enhance that of foreign language learners’ communicative competence. This study discusses the relation between pragmatic competence and language learning motivation. Results show that students’ general pragmatic competence is at a low level. Most of the subjects hold instrumental motivation as their dominant motivation. Significant correlation has been found between pragmatic competence and language learning motivation (r=.582; p=.000). According to the survey results, the author provides several suggestions on cultivating and maintaining learners’ motivation in their pragmatic learning.


Author(s):  
Hosny Mostafa Al-Dali

<p>The present study examines the variation in the proficiency of adult learners (males and females) of English as a foreign language.  It is a generally accepted fact in L<sub>1</sub> acquisition that females enjoy a rate advantage, initially at least. However, I know of no study that has systematically investigated the rate of second language acquisition (SLA) in females versus males. It might be safe to cite few SLA studies: Farhady, 1982; Eisenstein, 1982; Lakoff, 1973; Zimmerman and West, 1975; and Gass and Varonis, 1986. Although these studies reported sex-related differences, they were incidental to their main focus. The subjects for the present study are 180 students in the Department of English, Faculty of Arts, Minufiya University. They are divided into three groups according to their academic status in their university: Beginners (60); Intermediate (60); and advanced (60). Each group is equally divided into males (30), and females (30). Accordingly, the total number of males is 90, and that of females is 90, as well. All subjects performed three tasks: 1) listening; 2) reading, and 3) structure and written expressions, similar, to those used in the TOEFL test. The overall umbrella, under which all these tasks are designed, is ‘systematicity’; and/or ‘variability’; and whether learners' sex is responsible for it. Results are obtained and conclusions are made. </p><strong>Keywords</strong>: Variability; L<sub>2</sub> learners’ proficiency, sex.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 481-485
Author(s):  
D. Saidvalieva

Foreign Language Teachers for Specific Purposes have a lot in common with teachers of general foreign language. For both it is necessary to consider linguistic development and teaching theories, to have insights in contemporary ideas regarding their own position and role as well as the position and role of foreign language learners in education and to face new technologies offered as an aid to improve their methodology. The most important difference lies in the learners and their purposes for learning English. ESP students are usually adults who already have some acquaintance with English and are learning the language in order to communicate a set of professional skills and to perform particular job-related functions. An ESP program is therefore built on an assessment of purposes and needs and the functions for which English is required.


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