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The Effects of Explicit Pragmatic Teaching on Young Learners' Pragmatic Development

Year 2021, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 1 - 16, 30.06.2021
https://doi.org/10.34137/jilses.906273

Abstract

A large body of literature has examined the role of explicit teaching on L2 pragmatics. Previous research findings confirmed that explicit teaching has a positive impact on the development of L2 learners’ pragmatic competence. Many studies attempt to explore the efficacy of instruction in improving pragmatics competence in terms of learners' speech acts of requesting. However, little attention has been focused on teaching request strategies to young learners. This study aims to investigate whether explicit instruction of request strategies may enhance the young learners’ L2 pragmatic awareness and whether there will be an increase on the learners’ awareness based on social power, distance, and imposition factors. Twenty-two second-grade Turkish students from a private school participate in the study. The participants are divided into experimental and control groups and each group consists of eleven students. The experimental group receives four hours of treatment in two weeks while the control group follows conventional instructions without any metapragmatic teaching on requesting strategies. The quantitative data is gathered by administering Discourse Completion Test (DCT) as both the pre and the post-tests. To increase the reliability and validity of the research results, the triangulation method is used. For triangulation, the teacher-researchers employ teacher observation with a rubric and semi-structured interview is conducted with purposefully chosen students. The results of quantitative analysis showed that there is no significant difference in learners’ pragmatic awareness on L2 requesting. However, according to the qualitative results, there is a noticeable difference in the learners’ pragmatic awareness on requests and pragmatic factors.

References

  • Akutsu, Y. (2012). Exploring meta-pragmatic awareness of Japanese learners of English: Focusing on speech act of request by lower-intermediate proficiency college students. Economic Journal of Takasaki City University of Economics, 54(4), 121–134.
  • Austin, J. L. (1962). How to do things with words. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
  • Bardovi‐Harlig, K. (2018). Teaching of pragmatics. The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching, 1-7.
  • Bardovi-Harlig, K., Mossman, S., & Vellenga, H. E. (2015). The effect of instruction on pragmatic routines in academic discussion. Language teaching research, 19(3), 324-350.
  • Birjandi, P., & Derakhshan, A. (2014). Pragmatic comprehension of apology, request, and refusal: An investigation on the effect of consciousness-raising video-driven prompts. Applied Research on English Language, 3(1), 67-86.
  • Brown, P., Levinson, S. C., & Levinson, S. C. (1987). Politeness: Some universals in language usage. Cambridge university press.
  • Brubæk, S. (2012). Pragmatic competence in English at the VG1 level: To what extent are Norwegian EFL students able to adapt to contextual demands when making requests in English?. Acta Didactica Norge, 6(1), Art-20.
  • Cohen, A. D. (2012). Teaching pragmatics in the second language classroom. The European Journal of Applied Linguistics and TEFL, 1(1), 33-50.
  • Derakhshan, A., & Eslami, Z. (2015). The effect of consciousness-raising instruction on the pragmatic development of apology and request. TESL-EJ, 18(4).
  • Domakani, M. R., Hashemian, M., & Mansoori, S. (2014). Pragmatic awareness of the request speech act in English as an additional language: Monolinguals or bilinguals? Journal of Research in Applied Linguistic, 4(1), 88-100.
  • Eslami-Rasekh, Z., Eslami-Rasekh, A., & Fatahi, A. (2004). The effect of explicit metapragmatic instruction on the speech act awareness of advanced EFL students. TESL-EJ, 8(2). Fukuya, Y. J., & Clark, M. K. (2001). A comparison of input enhancement and explicit instruction of mitigators. Online Submission.
  • Halnko, N., & Jones, C. (2011). Teaching pragmatic awareness of spoken requests to Chinese EAP learners in the UK: Is explicit instruction effective? System, 39(2), 240-250.
  • Ishihara, N. (2013). Is it rude language? Children learning pragmatics through visual narrative. TESL Canada Journal, 135-135.
  • Jalilifar, A., Hashemian, M., & Tabatabaee, M. (2011). A cross-sectional study of Iranian EFL learners' request strategies. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 2(4), 790.
  • Koç, E. M. (2011). Politeness in requests: A cross-cultural study of Turkish and British natives. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 42, 153-166.
  • Lee, C. (2010). An exploratory study of the interlanguage pragmatic comprehension of young learners of English. Pragmatics, 20(3), 343-373.
  • Li, R., Raja, R., & Sazalie, A. (2015). An investigation into Chinese EFL learners’ pragmatic competence. GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies, 15(2).
  • Ngai, P., & Janusch, S. (2018). Professional development for TESL Teachers: A course in transcultural pragmatics. TESL-EJ, 22(3), n3.
  • Nguyen, H. T., & Nguyen, M. T. T. (2016). “But please can I play with the iPad?”: The development of request negotiation practices by a four-year-old child. Journal of Pragmatics, 101, 66-82.
  • Nguyen, T. T. M., Pham, T. H., & Pham, M. T. (2012). The relative effects of explicit and implicit form-focused instruction on the development of L2 pragmatic competence. Journal of pragmatics, 44(4), 416-434.
  • Savić, M. (2015). “Can I very please borrow it?”: Request development in young Norwegian EFL learners. Intercultural Pragmatics, 12(4), 443-480.
  • Sepehr Safaie. (2020). The effects of explicit and implicit teaching of connectors on the reading comprehension performance of Iranian EFL learners. Cogent Education, 7(1), 1777806
  • Yates, L. (2004). The 'secret rules of language':Tackling pragmatics in the classroom.

Doğrudan Edimbilim Eğitiminin İlköğretim Öğrencilerinin Edimbilimsel Gelişimi Üzerindeki Etkileri

Year 2021, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 1 - 16, 30.06.2021
https://doi.org/10.34137/jilses.906273

Abstract

Mevcut literatürün büyük bir çoğunluğu ikinci dilde doğrudan edimbilim öğretimini inceler. Önceki araştırma bulguları doğrudan öğretimin yabancı dil öğrencilerinin edimbilim yeterliliğinin gelişim sürecinde olumlu bir etkiye sahip olduğunu doğrulamaktadır. Birçok araştırma, rica konuşma söylemi özelinde edimbilim yeterliliğinin gelişiminde öğretim yönteminin etkinliğini ortaya çıkarmayı amaçlar. Lakin, rica stratejilerinin genç öğrencilere öğretimi konusunda oldukça az araştırmalar yürütülmüştür. Bu araştırma, doğrudan rica stratejilerinin yabancı dilde edimbilim farkındalığının arttırılabileceğini ya da öğrencilerin sosyal güç, mesafe ve dayatma derecesi hususlarında farkındalık seviyelerinde bir artış olup olmayacağını araştırmaktadır. 22 adet Türk ikinci sınıf öğrencisi katılımcılar olarak alınmıştır. Katılımcılar deney ve gözlem grubu olarak 11 kişiden oluşan 2 grup şeklinde ayrılmıştır. Deney grubu iki haftalık süreçte 4 saatlik uygulamaya tabii tutulurken, deney grubu mevcut müfredatı ek uygulama olmaksızın takip eder. Sayısal veriler Söylem Tamamlama Görevi (DCT) aralığı ile test öncesi ve sonuçları alınacak şekilde kullanılmıştır. Güvenirlik ve geçerlilik notlarında verilerin güçlendirilmesi adına üçgenleme yöntemine başvuruldu. Bu noktada, araştırmacı-öğretmenler öğretmen gözlem formu ve amaçlı örnekleme yoluyla yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu yöntemlerinden yararlanıldı. Sayısal veriler yabancı dilde rica söyleminin farkındalık seviyesinde ciddi bir fark olmadığını göstermiştir. Ancak, sözel veriler öğrencilerin edimbilimsel rica söylemi ve edimbilim faktörleri üzerine farkındalık seviyesinde ayırt edilebilecek bir farklılık ortaya koymuştur.

References

  • Akutsu, Y. (2012). Exploring meta-pragmatic awareness of Japanese learners of English: Focusing on speech act of request by lower-intermediate proficiency college students. Economic Journal of Takasaki City University of Economics, 54(4), 121–134.
  • Austin, J. L. (1962). How to do things with words. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
  • Bardovi‐Harlig, K. (2018). Teaching of pragmatics. The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching, 1-7.
  • Bardovi-Harlig, K., Mossman, S., & Vellenga, H. E. (2015). The effect of instruction on pragmatic routines in academic discussion. Language teaching research, 19(3), 324-350.
  • Birjandi, P., & Derakhshan, A. (2014). Pragmatic comprehension of apology, request, and refusal: An investigation on the effect of consciousness-raising video-driven prompts. Applied Research on English Language, 3(1), 67-86.
  • Brown, P., Levinson, S. C., & Levinson, S. C. (1987). Politeness: Some universals in language usage. Cambridge university press.
  • Brubæk, S. (2012). Pragmatic competence in English at the VG1 level: To what extent are Norwegian EFL students able to adapt to contextual demands when making requests in English?. Acta Didactica Norge, 6(1), Art-20.
  • Cohen, A. D. (2012). Teaching pragmatics in the second language classroom. The European Journal of Applied Linguistics and TEFL, 1(1), 33-50.
  • Derakhshan, A., & Eslami, Z. (2015). The effect of consciousness-raising instruction on the pragmatic development of apology and request. TESL-EJ, 18(4).
  • Domakani, M. R., Hashemian, M., & Mansoori, S. (2014). Pragmatic awareness of the request speech act in English as an additional language: Monolinguals or bilinguals? Journal of Research in Applied Linguistic, 4(1), 88-100.
  • Eslami-Rasekh, Z., Eslami-Rasekh, A., & Fatahi, A. (2004). The effect of explicit metapragmatic instruction on the speech act awareness of advanced EFL students. TESL-EJ, 8(2). Fukuya, Y. J., & Clark, M. K. (2001). A comparison of input enhancement and explicit instruction of mitigators. Online Submission.
  • Halnko, N., & Jones, C. (2011). Teaching pragmatic awareness of spoken requests to Chinese EAP learners in the UK: Is explicit instruction effective? System, 39(2), 240-250.
  • Ishihara, N. (2013). Is it rude language? Children learning pragmatics through visual narrative. TESL Canada Journal, 135-135.
  • Jalilifar, A., Hashemian, M., & Tabatabaee, M. (2011). A cross-sectional study of Iranian EFL learners' request strategies. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 2(4), 790.
  • Koç, E. M. (2011). Politeness in requests: A cross-cultural study of Turkish and British natives. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 42, 153-166.
  • Lee, C. (2010). An exploratory study of the interlanguage pragmatic comprehension of young learners of English. Pragmatics, 20(3), 343-373.
  • Li, R., Raja, R., & Sazalie, A. (2015). An investigation into Chinese EFL learners’ pragmatic competence. GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies, 15(2).
  • Ngai, P., & Janusch, S. (2018). Professional development for TESL Teachers: A course in transcultural pragmatics. TESL-EJ, 22(3), n3.
  • Nguyen, H. T., & Nguyen, M. T. T. (2016). “But please can I play with the iPad?”: The development of request negotiation practices by a four-year-old child. Journal of Pragmatics, 101, 66-82.
  • Nguyen, T. T. M., Pham, T. H., & Pham, M. T. (2012). The relative effects of explicit and implicit form-focused instruction on the development of L2 pragmatic competence. Journal of pragmatics, 44(4), 416-434.
  • Savić, M. (2015). “Can I very please borrow it?”: Request development in young Norwegian EFL learners. Intercultural Pragmatics, 12(4), 443-480.
  • Sepehr Safaie. (2020). The effects of explicit and implicit teaching of connectors on the reading comprehension performance of Iranian EFL learners. Cogent Education, 7(1), 1777806
  • Yates, L. (2004). The 'secret rules of language':Tackling pragmatics in the classroom.
There are 23 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Linguistics
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Hüseyin Caner Canbolat 0000-0003-0659-5212

Sümeyye Atasoy This is me 0000-0002-3426-6232

Biset Naiboğlu This is me 0000-0001-7999-0040

Publication Date June 30, 2021
Submission Date March 31, 2021
Acceptance Date May 29, 2021
Published in Issue Year 2021 Volume: 7 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Canbolat, H. C., Atasoy, S., & Naiboğlu, B. (2021). The Effects of Explicit Pragmatic Teaching on Young Learners’ Pragmatic Development. The Journal of International Lingual Social and Educational Sciences, 7(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.34137/jilses.906273