The effect of L2 English proficiency on request, advice and apology of L1 Turkish-L2 English learners

Abstract

Since Bachman and Palmer (1996) and Canale and Swain (1980) introduction of “pragmatic competence” in the field of L2 acquisition, its relation to other factors interacting with it has attracted attention of a number of researchers. The present study aims to explore the intertangled relation between two competences (namely pragmatic and structural) in three distinct areas such as request, advice and apology in L2 context. For the purposes of the current study, two data collection tools are employed. The first one is English Language Proficiency Test while the second is a discourse completion task. The latter consists of three subsections and each subsection involves four cases each of which targets exchanges between interlocutors with equal statues. The findings suggest that even though two distinct proficiency groups differ for some cases like requests, L2 proficiency is not a comprehensive indicator of L2 pragmatic competence development on its own.

Keywords

• pragmatic competence,L2 proficiency,request,apology

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