10. Teaching speech acts in a second language
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Alicia Martínez-Flor
Abstract
Speech acts are one of the most widely examined pragmatic features that second and foreign language (L2/FL) learners need to master in order to communicate appropriately in the target language. Without a proper knowledge of how to use and understand a particular speech act that is appropriate to the contextual and cultural parameters of a specific situation, L2/FL learners may run the risk of being perceived as rude and/or impolite. Consequently, providing them with the opportunities to develop their ability to perform and recognise speech acts in particular communicative situations is nowadays recognised as the ultimate goal of language teaching. To that end, this chapter reports the synthesis findings of nineteen interventional studies on the speech act of requesting as it has the potential to cause offence if expressed inappropriately. Three questions have guided this investigation: 1) is the speech act of requesting teachable at all? 2) is instruction in requesting more effective than no instruction? and 3) are different teaching approaches differentially effective in teaching requests? Findings from this synthesis are presented and discussed in line with emerging trends in teaching pragmatics (see Taguchi 2019). The chapter concludes with some directions for future research and offers insights regarding how to best help learners develop appropriate speech acts.
Abstract
Speech acts are one of the most widely examined pragmatic features that second and foreign language (L2/FL) learners need to master in order to communicate appropriately in the target language. Without a proper knowledge of how to use and understand a particular speech act that is appropriate to the contextual and cultural parameters of a specific situation, L2/FL learners may run the risk of being perceived as rude and/or impolite. Consequently, providing them with the opportunities to develop their ability to perform and recognise speech acts in particular communicative situations is nowadays recognised as the ultimate goal of language teaching. To that end, this chapter reports the synthesis findings of nineteen interventional studies on the speech act of requesting as it has the potential to cause offence if expressed inappropriately. Three questions have guided this investigation: 1) is the speech act of requesting teachable at all? 2) is instruction in requesting more effective than no instruction? and 3) are different teaching approaches differentially effective in teaching requests? Findings from this synthesis are presented and discussed in line with emerging trends in teaching pragmatics (see Taguchi 2019). The chapter concludes with some directions for future research and offers insights regarding how to best help learners develop appropriate speech acts.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter i
- Preface to the handbook series v
- Preface to Developmental and Clinical Pragmatics ix
- Table of contents xi
- 1. Pragmatic competence: Development and impairment 1
-
I. Pragmatic development in a first language
- 2. Pragmatic development in a first language: An overview 33
- 3. Communicative act development 61
- 4. Acquisition of epistemic and evidential expressions 89
- 5. Acquiring implicatures 119
- 6. Acquiring irony 149
- 7. Acquiring prosody 177
- 8. Pragmatic development in the (middle and) later stages of life 209
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II. Pragmatic development in a second language
- 9. Pragmatic development in L2: An overview 237
- 10. Teaching speech acts in a second language 269
- 11. Learning how to interpret indirectness in an L2 301
- 12. Comprehension of implicatures and humor in a second language 331
- 13. Pragmatic transfer 361
- 14. Developing pragmatic awareness 393
- 15. Developing pragmatic competence in a study abroad context 429
- 16. Testing pragmatic competence in a second language 475
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III. Pragmatic disorders
- 17. Pragmatic disorders: An overview 499
- 18. Pragmatic competence in autism spectrum disorders 523
- 19. Pragmatic competence in Down syndrome 545
- 20. Pragmatic competence in aphasia 581
- 21. Pragmatics and dementia 611
- 22. Assessing pragmatic competence in developmental disorders 647
- Contributors 681
- Name Index 691
- Subject Index 711
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter i
- Preface to the handbook series v
- Preface to Developmental and Clinical Pragmatics ix
- Table of contents xi
- 1. Pragmatic competence: Development and impairment 1
-
I. Pragmatic development in a first language
- 2. Pragmatic development in a first language: An overview 33
- 3. Communicative act development 61
- 4. Acquisition of epistemic and evidential expressions 89
- 5. Acquiring implicatures 119
- 6. Acquiring irony 149
- 7. Acquiring prosody 177
- 8. Pragmatic development in the (middle and) later stages of life 209
-
II. Pragmatic development in a second language
- 9. Pragmatic development in L2: An overview 237
- 10. Teaching speech acts in a second language 269
- 11. Learning how to interpret indirectness in an L2 301
- 12. Comprehension of implicatures and humor in a second language 331
- 13. Pragmatic transfer 361
- 14. Developing pragmatic awareness 393
- 15. Developing pragmatic competence in a study abroad context 429
- 16. Testing pragmatic competence in a second language 475
-
III. Pragmatic disorders
- 17. Pragmatic disorders: An overview 499
- 18. Pragmatic competence in autism spectrum disorders 523
- 19. Pragmatic competence in Down syndrome 545
- 20. Pragmatic competence in aphasia 581
- 21. Pragmatics and dementia 611
- 22. Assessing pragmatic competence in developmental disorders 647
- Contributors 681
- Name Index 691
- Subject Index 711
