Does Multimedia Technology Facilitate Pragmatics Awareness among Teenage Learners? A Case of Secondary-School Students

Abstract

This study aims to raise awareness among teenage learners of the difference between direct and indirect “speech acts” in pragmatics through multimedia technology. In a case study with 35 participants between the ages of 13 and 15, the data-collection process consisted of pre-tests, multimedia technology, and post-tests. Pre- and post-tests comprised the same ten questions about speech acts. The participants engaged in explicit learning with a smart board and projector in order to understand the distinction between the direct and indirect speech act. The results indicate that the participants were able to grasp pragmatics awareness and that they were greatly motivated to learn through multimedia technology.

Keywords

• Awareness,Pragmatics,Indirect,Direct,Speech Acts

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