9 Strategic competence and pragmatic proficiency in L2 role plays
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Steven J. Ross
Abstract
Building on the varied work of Andrew Cohen in the domain of second language (L2) pragmatics and assessment, this chapter examines the assessment of strategic competence in role plays devised for the oral proficiency interview. Strategic competence develops in both instructed and naturalistic L2 acquisition contexts. Evidence for stages of development for this aspect of pragmatic competence has been inconsistently available, and to a large degree has been observable in more direct assessment techniques, such as interactive role plays, rather than in indirect methods such as discourse completion tasks. This chapter explores overlooked aspects of strategic and pragmatic competence made observable in interactive open role plays. In such role plays the candidate is provided a transactional scenario and is asked to pursue a specific goal in light of constraints implied in the scenario itself, or imposed by the interlocutor as a complication introduced to assess the candidate’s strategic competence. The analyses focus on examples of interaction from role plays that provide evidence of pragmatic abilities beyond the usual focus on speech act realization. We focus on four facets of pragmatic proficiency that have not been formally assessed in the oral proficiency interview.
Abstract
Building on the varied work of Andrew Cohen in the domain of second language (L2) pragmatics and assessment, this chapter examines the assessment of strategic competence in role plays devised for the oral proficiency interview. Strategic competence develops in both instructed and naturalistic L2 acquisition contexts. Evidence for stages of development for this aspect of pragmatic competence has been inconsistently available, and to a large degree has been observable in more direct assessment techniques, such as interactive role plays, rather than in indirect methods such as discourse completion tasks. This chapter explores overlooked aspects of strategic and pragmatic competence made observable in interactive open role plays. In such role plays the candidate is provided a transactional scenario and is asked to pursue a specific goal in light of constraints implied in the scenario itself, or imposed by the interlocutor as a complication introduced to assess the candidate’s strategic competence. The analyses focus on examples of interaction from role plays that provide evidence of pragmatic abilities beyond the usual focus on speech act realization. We focus on four facets of pragmatic proficiency that have not been formally assessed in the oral proficiency interview.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Acknowledgements XI
- Contents XIII
- List of contributors XVII
- Introduction 1
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Part I: Learning and teaching speech acts
- 1 Pragmatic competence and speech-act research in second language pragmatics 11
- 2 Systemic functional linguistics applied to analyze L2 speech acts: Analysis of advice-giving in a written text 27
- 3 Learning about L2 Spanish requests abroad through classroom and ethnography-based pragmatics instruction 58
- 4 Effectiveness of a post-study abroad pedagogical intervention in learning compliments and compliment responses in L2 Spanish 81
- 5 ¡Madre mía de mi alma!: Pragmalinguistic variation and gender differences in perception of piropos in Badajoz, Spain 103
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Part II: Assessing pragmatic competence
- 6 Assessing L2 pragmatic competence 131
- 7 Testing of L2 pragmatics: The challenge of implicit knowledge 142
- 8 The DCT as a data collection method for L2 humor production 156
- 9 Strategic competence and pragmatic proficiency in L2 role plays 179
-
Part III: Analyzing discourses in L2 digital contexts
- 10 Researching digital discourse in second language pragmatics 197
- 11 Pragmalinguistic variation in L2 Spanish e-mail requests: Learner strategies and instructor perceptions 208
- 12 Affordances of game-enhanced learning: A classroom intervention for enhancing concept-based pragmatics instruction 236
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Part IV: Current issues in L2 pragmatics
- 13 Explicit knowledge in L2 pragmatics? 255
- 14 Studying speech acts: An expanded scope and refined methodologies 270
- 15 Converging agendas of rationalist and discursive approaches for the development of a pedagogy of L2 pragmatics 286
- 16 From a native-nonnative speaker dichotomy to a translingual framework 300
- 17 An introduction to discourse markers 314
- Epilogue: A personal tribute to Andrew Cohen 336
- Index 339
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Acknowledgements XI
- Contents XIII
- List of contributors XVII
- Introduction 1
-
Part I: Learning and teaching speech acts
- 1 Pragmatic competence and speech-act research in second language pragmatics 11
- 2 Systemic functional linguistics applied to analyze L2 speech acts: Analysis of advice-giving in a written text 27
- 3 Learning about L2 Spanish requests abroad through classroom and ethnography-based pragmatics instruction 58
- 4 Effectiveness of a post-study abroad pedagogical intervention in learning compliments and compliment responses in L2 Spanish 81
- 5 ¡Madre mía de mi alma!: Pragmalinguistic variation and gender differences in perception of piropos in Badajoz, Spain 103
-
Part II: Assessing pragmatic competence
- 6 Assessing L2 pragmatic competence 131
- 7 Testing of L2 pragmatics: The challenge of implicit knowledge 142
- 8 The DCT as a data collection method for L2 humor production 156
- 9 Strategic competence and pragmatic proficiency in L2 role plays 179
-
Part III: Analyzing discourses in L2 digital contexts
- 10 Researching digital discourse in second language pragmatics 197
- 11 Pragmalinguistic variation in L2 Spanish e-mail requests: Learner strategies and instructor perceptions 208
- 12 Affordances of game-enhanced learning: A classroom intervention for enhancing concept-based pragmatics instruction 236
-
Part IV: Current issues in L2 pragmatics
- 13 Explicit knowledge in L2 pragmatics? 255
- 14 Studying speech acts: An expanded scope and refined methodologies 270
- 15 Converging agendas of rationalist and discursive approaches for the development of a pedagogy of L2 pragmatics 286
- 16 From a native-nonnative speaker dichotomy to a translingual framework 300
- 17 An introduction to discourse markers 314
- Epilogue: A personal tribute to Andrew Cohen 336
- Index 339
