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Chapter 6. Developing pragmatic competence through tasks in EFL contexts

Does proficiency play a role?

Abstract

Although task-based language teaching, on the one hand, and teaching pragmatics on the other, are not considered to be new trends anymore, there is still a gap in the research regarding how pragmatic features can be taught using a task-based approach. To fill the gap, the present study examines whether speech acts of apology, justification, and thanking are teachable through tasks in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. The study further investigates the role of L2 proficiency in the development of pragmatic awareness. The participants are 38 third-year university students in Spain who are enrolled in English for the Media course with two different levels of proficiency in English (B1 and C1 on the CEFR). The experiment consists of a pretest involving e-mail writing tasks and a posttest. Pretest/posttest tasks are analysed by rating the appropriateness of speech acts of apology, justification, and thanking on a six-point appropriateness scale and on grammar scales. Results display some positive effects of the task-based instruction on the learning of pragmatics in both proficiency groups. However, the results of the posttests for the grammar scales and the overall gains did not correlate with the proficiency scores, which suggests that L2 development of pragmatics cannot be fully attributed to L2 learners’ proficiency.

Abstract

Although task-based language teaching, on the one hand, and teaching pragmatics on the other, are not considered to be new trends anymore, there is still a gap in the research regarding how pragmatic features can be taught using a task-based approach. To fill the gap, the present study examines whether speech acts of apology, justification, and thanking are teachable through tasks in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. The study further investigates the role of L2 proficiency in the development of pragmatic awareness. The participants are 38 third-year university students in Spain who are enrolled in English for the Media course with two different levels of proficiency in English (B1 and C1 on the CEFR). The experiment consists of a pretest involving e-mail writing tasks and a posttest. Pretest/posttest tasks are analysed by rating the appropriateness of speech acts of apology, justification, and thanking on a six-point appropriateness scale and on grammar scales. Results display some positive effects of the task-based instruction on the learning of pragmatics in both proficiency groups. However, the results of the posttests for the grammar scales and the overall gains did not correlate with the proficiency scores, which suggests that L2 development of pragmatics cannot be fully attributed to L2 learners’ proficiency.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgement vii
  4. Series editors’ preface ix
  5. Chapter 1. Task-based approaches to teaching and assessing pragmatics 1
  6. Part I. Teaching pragmatics through tasks
  7. Chapter 2. Learning of Korean honorifics through collaborative tasks 27
  8. Chapter 3. Effects of task supported language teaching on learners’ use and knowledge of email request mitigators 55
  9. Chapter 4. Task complexity effects on interaction during a collaborative persuasive writing task 83
  10. Part II. Using tasks to elicit pragmatics language use
  11. Chapter 5. Task modality effects on Spanish learners’ interlanguage pragmatic development 113
  12. Chapter 6. Developing pragmatic competence through tasks in EFL contexts 137
  13. Chapter 7. Independently measuring cognitive complexity in task design for interlanguage pragmatics development 159
  14. Chapter 8. Pragmatics, tasks, and technology 191
  15. Part III. Task-based assessment of pragmatics
  16. Chapter 9. Task design and validity evidence for assessment of L2 pragmatics in interaction 217
  17. Chapter 10. The effects of task type and L2 proficiency on discourse appropriacy in oral task performance 247
  18. Chapter 11. Assessing functional adequacy of L2 performance in a task-based approach 265
  19. Chapter 12. Pragmatics in task-based language assessment 287
  20. Bio notes 305
  21. Index 311
Task-Based Approaches to Teaching and Assessing Pragmatics
This chapter is in the book Task-Based Approaches to Teaching and Assessing Pragmatics
https://doi.org/10.1075/tblt.10.06lev

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgement vii
  4. Series editors’ preface ix
  5. Chapter 1. Task-based approaches to teaching and assessing pragmatics 1
  6. Part I. Teaching pragmatics through tasks
  7. Chapter 2. Learning of Korean honorifics through collaborative tasks 27
  8. Chapter 3. Effects of task supported language teaching on learners’ use and knowledge of email request mitigators 55
  9. Chapter 4. Task complexity effects on interaction during a collaborative persuasive writing task 83
  10. Part II. Using tasks to elicit pragmatics language use
  11. Chapter 5. Task modality effects on Spanish learners’ interlanguage pragmatic development 113
  12. Chapter 6. Developing pragmatic competence through tasks in EFL contexts 137
  13. Chapter 7. Independently measuring cognitive complexity in task design for interlanguage pragmatics development 159
  14. Chapter 8. Pragmatics, tasks, and technology 191
  15. Part III. Task-based assessment of pragmatics
  16. Chapter 9. Task design and validity evidence for assessment of L2 pragmatics in interaction 217
  17. Chapter 10. The effects of task type and L2 proficiency on discourse appropriacy in oral task performance 247
  18. Chapter 11. Assessing functional adequacy of L2 performance in a task-based approach 265
  19. Chapter 12. Pragmatics in task-based language assessment 287
  20. Bio notes 305
  21. Index 311
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