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Chapter 7. Pragmatics

Assessing learning outcomes in instructional studies
  • Naoko Taguchi and Soo Jung Youn
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Instructed Second Language Acquisition Research Methods
This chapter is in the book Instructed Second Language Acquisition Research Methods

Abstract

The field of instructed SLA (ISLA) has grown rapidly in recent years to examine how systematic manipulations of instructional conditions can lead to the development of second language (L2) knowledge and use (Loewen & Sato, 2017). Following this trend, L2 pragmatics researchers have implemented various instructional methods and examined their effectiveness using experimental designs (Taguchi, 2015; Taguchi & Roever, 2017). The critical issue in this practice is how to assess learning outcomes in order to make a claim that certain instructional methods can produce robust pragmatic knowledge. To address this question, this chapter presents an overview of assessment methods used in analyzing pragmatics learning outcomes. The chapter surveys instructed L2 pragmatics studies published in the last four decades to identify common assessment methods (i.e., discourse completion tasks and role-play tasks). We provide step-by-step illustrations of expert studies in order to demonstrate how researchers design an assessment task, evaluate learning, and interpret results. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the challenges and limitations of current methods and provides direction for addressing such challenges in pragmatics research.

Abstract

The field of instructed SLA (ISLA) has grown rapidly in recent years to examine how systematic manipulations of instructional conditions can lead to the development of second language (L2) knowledge and use (Loewen & Sato, 2017). Following this trend, L2 pragmatics researchers have implemented various instructional methods and examined their effectiveness using experimental designs (Taguchi, 2015; Taguchi & Roever, 2017). The critical issue in this practice is how to assess learning outcomes in order to make a claim that certain instructional methods can produce robust pragmatic knowledge. To address this question, this chapter presents an overview of assessment methods used in analyzing pragmatics learning outcomes. The chapter surveys instructed L2 pragmatics studies published in the last four decades to identify common assessment methods (i.e., discourse completion tasks and role-play tasks). We provide step-by-step illustrations of expert studies in order to demonstrate how researchers design an assessment task, evaluate learning, and interpret results. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the challenges and limitations of current methods and provides direction for addressing such challenges in pragmatics research.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. Acknowledgements ix
  4. Introduction to the volume xi
  5. List of contributors xix
  6. Section 1. Introduction
  7. Chapter 1. Getting started 3
  8. Section 2. Identifying your research approach
  9. Chapter 2. Quantitative research methods in ISLA 31
  10. Chapter 3. Qualitative ISLA research methodologies and methods 55
  11. Chapter 4. Mixed methods research in ISLA 79
  12. Chapter 5. Replication research in instructed SLA 103
  13. Section 3. ISLA research across methodological approaches
  14. Chapter 6. Unique considerations for ISLA research across approaches 125
  15. Section 4. Designing instructional interventions for specific skills & competencies
  16. Chapter 7. Pragmatics 149
  17. Chapter 8. Vocabulary 181
  18. Chapter 9. Grammar 207
  19. Chapter 10. Pronunciation 233
  20. Chapter 11. Listening 257
  21. Chapter 12. Reading 281
  22. Chapter 13. Writing 305
  23. Chapter 14. Speaking 329
  24. Section 5. Sharing your research
  25. Chapter 15. Contributing to the advancement of the field: 355
  26. Index 379
https://doi.org/10.1075/rmal.3.07tag

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. Acknowledgements ix
  4. Introduction to the volume xi
  5. List of contributors xix
  6. Section 1. Introduction
  7. Chapter 1. Getting started 3
  8. Section 2. Identifying your research approach
  9. Chapter 2. Quantitative research methods in ISLA 31
  10. Chapter 3. Qualitative ISLA research methodologies and methods 55
  11. Chapter 4. Mixed methods research in ISLA 79
  12. Chapter 5. Replication research in instructed SLA 103
  13. Section 3. ISLA research across methodological approaches
  14. Chapter 6. Unique considerations for ISLA research across approaches 125
  15. Section 4. Designing instructional interventions for specific skills & competencies
  16. Chapter 7. Pragmatics 149
  17. Chapter 8. Vocabulary 181
  18. Chapter 9. Grammar 207
  19. Chapter 10. Pronunciation 233
  20. Chapter 11. Listening 257
  21. Chapter 12. Reading 281
  22. Chapter 13. Writing 305
  23. Chapter 14. Speaking 329
  24. Section 5. Sharing your research
  25. Chapter 15. Contributing to the advancement of the field: 355
  26. Index 379
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