The effects of pragmatic instruction on EFL learners’ pragmatic competence

Abstract

Pragmatic competence is considered one of the most important elements in language learning. In recent years, researchers around the world have placed their attention on how language is used in context. A competent speaker of any language not only knows grammar, syntax, and an extensive vocabulary, but also understands how to use it according to the context. For this reason, it is imperative for EFL learners to receive pragmatic instruction in the classroom, given the limited exposure to the target language EFL learners have in their environment. In this research synthesis, an extensive bibliographical study of the most used methods and techniques to teach pragmatics was carried out in order to analyze the effects of pragmatic instruction in EFL learners. The findings of this study indicate that pragmatic instruction is always beneficial for the EFL learner’s development of pragmatic competence. However, it should be noted that most studies point to explicit pragmatic instruction over implicit instruction as an effective tool for the development of this competence. Another finding was that the use of authentic materials is essential for teaching pragmatics. In addition, the use of technology, the task-based approach, and the consciousnessraising approach have proven to be effective methodologies for pragmatic instruction