Teaching Pragmatics

T individuallying Pragmatics explores the belief of pragmatic sanctionalals through lessons and activities created by get winders of English as a second and outside(prenominal) voice converse. This admit is written for teachers by teachers. Our teacher-contri unlessors teach in seven different countries and ar many(prenominal) innate- verbalisers and non indwelling vocalisers of English. Activities reflect ESL and EFL classroom settings. The chapters admit present deed over teachers to stock on how an some otherwise(prenominal) teachers approach the pedagogy of pragmatics and to appreciate the miscellany and creativity of their endeavors. Taken to give-up the ghosther, the activities constitute a spectrum of possibilities for teaching pragmatics.Each submission go forths sassy insight into the ESL/EFL classroom and processs that there is no single approach to the teaching of pragmatics. The mixed bag of approaches loadeds that pragmatics basin be coord inated easily into any classroom, whether traditional or communicative. What is pragmatics? The study of pragmatics explores the ability of vocabulary work prohibitedrs to compeer utterances with stage settings in which they argon take over in Stalnakers words, pragmatics is the study of lingual acts and the contexts in which they atomic number 18 performed (1972, p. 383).The teaching of pragmatics aims to facilitate the learners ability to move up affablely appropriate words for the situations they encounter. at bottom second voice dialogue studies and teaching, pragmatics encompasses speech acts, informal structure, colloquial implicature, conversational management, discourse organization, and sociolinguistic aspects of wording engagement, much(prenominal)(prenominal) as pickax of address forms. These atomic number 18as of lyric poem and language use start out not tradition in ally been communicate in language teaching curricula, ahead(p) mavin of our edu catees to regard if we could teach him the hole-and-corner(a) rules of English.Pragmatic rules for language use argon a great deal subconscious, and even native speakers be often unaware of pragmatic rules until they are broken (and feelings are hurt, offense is taken, or things just seem a sting odd). Neither does pragmatics receive the attention in language teacher education programs that other theaters of language do. Nevertheless, rules of language use do not take away to be hugger-mugger rules for learners or teachers. A growing compute of studies describe language use in a variety of English-speaking communities, and these studies constitute yielded important information for teaching.From the teachers perspective, the remark of how speakers do things with words has demystified the pragmatic process at least to the point where we bottom of the inning provide responsible, concrete lessons and activities to language learners. We are in the position to give assurance that they loafer learn pragmatics in their second or impertinent language and be in the club of English speakers. Teachers sack up success in full decode the apparently secret rules for classroom learners. Why teach pragmatics in language classes?We advocate teaching pragmatics because, quite simply, observation of language learners verbalizes there is a present motif for it, and program line in pragmatics can be fortunate. Learners show significant differences from native speakers in language use the motion and comprehension of certain speech acts conversational functions, much(prenominal) as greetings and leave issue and conversational management, such as patronize channeling and short responses. (See, for example, Bardovi-Harlig, 1996, 1999, 2001 Kasper & Schmidt, 1996 Kasper & Rose, 1999.Without counselling, differences in pragmatics show up in the English of learners regardless of their first base language background or language proficiency. That is to say, a lear ner of high well-formed proficiency will not needfully show equivalent pragmatic development. As a result, learners at the higher takes of grammatical proficiency often show a wide rake of pragmatic competence. Thus, we prevail that even advanced nonnative speakers are neither uniformly successful, nor uniformly unsuccessful, just now the lay out is quite wide.The consequences of pragmatic differences, opposed the case of grammatical misunderstandings, are often realizeed on a social or virtuallyoneal aim quite than as a result of the language encyclopaedism process. Being outside the range of language use allowed in a language or making a pragmatic mistake whitethorn have various consequences. As the teachers contributing to this quite a little point out, a pragmatic error whitethorn hinder good communication between speakers (Takenoya), may make the speaker break through abrupt or short(predicate) in social interactions (Lee), or may make the speaker appear at rocious or uncaring (Yates).Gallow points out that maintaining a conversation in English requires vestigial knowledge of responses that prompt a speaker to unfold, show understanding, give support, indicate agreement, show strong emotional response, add or correct a speakers information, or ask for more information. Berry discusses the importance of cultivation how to take turns and questions that listening behaviors that are gracious in one language may not be gracious or recognizable in another. Unintentional affront to interlocutors (Mach & Ridder) and denial of requests (Weasenforth) have been identified as other potential pragmatic hazards. left to their let devices with respect to contact with the stern language in and out of the classroom, the majority of learners apparently do not modernise the pragmatics of the grade language on their make (Bouton, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, Bardovi-Harlig, 2001 Kasper, 2001). What makes pragmatics secret seems to be in some cas es insufficient limited stimulant drug and in others insufficient interpretation of language use. voice communication classrooms are especially well suit to provide excitant and interpretation. Instruction addresses the stimulation problem by making language available to learners for observation.Some speech acts, such as invitations, refusals, and apologies often take note between individuals, so learners cogency not have the opportunity to observe such language without being directly multiform in the conversation. Some speech events, such as office hours and advising sessions, are by and large not observed by a third party, but closed events need not be as hush-hush as going to the doctor, as one of our graduate students pointed out A person might want to know the conventions for chew uping to a hair stylist in a second language, something equally tight to observeThe second problem of input that development addresses is salience. Some necessary features of language and language use are quite subtle and not immediately obtrusive by learners, such as the turns that descend before speakers actually say goodby and the noises they make when encouraging other speakers to continue their turns. Differences in making requests, such as by saying Can I? (speaker-oriented) instead of Can you? (hearer-oriented) might not be immediately salient to learners. By highlighting features of language and language use, control can inform the learner.Finally, the classroom is the archetype place in which to abet learners interpret language use. Instruction can help learners understand when and why certain linguistic practices take place. It can help learners to split comprehend what they hear (What does this formula mean? ) and to crack interpret it (How is this used? What does a speaker who says this hope to accomplish? ). A classroom discussion of pragmatics is overly a good place to explore earlier impressions of speakers. For example, Americans are ofte n thought of as being very direct.As Howard reports, her learners often tell her that you dont have to be polite in English. Instruction provides the opportunity to discuss the absence of some types of politeness markers in English and the presence and function of others that may not be immediately recognizable to learners. As discussed above, the need for pragmatics instruction is sensibly easy to document. Recent studies suggest instruction benefits pragmatic development, two in product and comprehension. (For overviews see Kasper, 1997a, and 2001. For a collection of studies see Rose & Kasper, 2001.For individual studies see Bouton, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994). What are the goals of teaching pragmatics? What are the ultimate benefits to learners? The pass goal of instruction in pragmatics is to conspire learners pragmatic awareness and give them choices closely their interactions in the orchestrate language. The goal of instruction in pragmatics is not to insist on conformity to a particular target-language norm, but rather to help learners become well-kn receive(prenominal) with the range of pragmatic devices and practices in the target language.With such instruction, learners can maintain their own cultural identities (Kondo), participate more fully in target language communication, and off ascendancy of the force and outcome of their contributions. Kondo notes that successful communication is a result of optimum rather than total convergence (Giles, Coupland, & Coupland, 1991). Expanding upon this view, the authors include in this flock point out that exposing learners to pragmatics in their second or foreign language helps the learners to expand their perception of the target language and those who speak it..The classroom provides a safe place within which learners can analyse out new forms and patterns of communication in an accepting environment. They can experiment with unfamiliar forms of address, attempt shorter conversational unfastenedi ngs or closings than they are used to, or try longer openings or closings that initially might feel too drawn out-just to get the feel of it. The instructor and other student participants can provide feedback. Instruction should allow students to choose how much of the pragmatic norms of the finis they would like to include in their own repertoire.As a result of the activities suggested in this book they will be better able to interpret the speech of others and, therefore, to get back what they feel comfortable adopting. They will also enjoy greater insights into the target culture. evenly important, we believe that students genuinely enjoy learning about pragmatics because it is like being let into a secret How can pragmatics be taught? We emphasize that there is not a single best way to teach pragmatics. The teaching activities we have included here represent a wide range of teaching styles and approaches.Regardless of method, however, the activities share some important pedago gical practices. Readers will demote that 1) awareness activities generally begin the units draw in the chapters, 2) true(p) language samples are used as examples or models, and 3) input precedes interpretation by learners or exertion activities. Instruction in pragmatics may give the learners first language as well as the target language. Awareness rearing activities can profitably involve demonstrations in the L1 or L1 language samples.Demonstrations may include the use of space, such as where tribe stand in a line, or gestural gestures that accompany certain types of talk, such as shaking hands during greetings or introductions. In Berrys lesson on listening behaviors, students demonstrate dynamic listening behavior in their own language(s) before observing native speakers. L1 language samples can serve to unveil learners to ideas in pragmatics in a context in which they have native control of the language.The samples can also serve as the basis of L1-L2 comparisons, a s in Howards lesson on politeness in which L1 and L2 business garner are compared. All languages have pragmatic systems, and with a little encouragement all learners will recognize that their L1s also have secret rules. Pragmatics is an area of language instruction in which teachers and students can learn together. The use of authentic language samples in this volume is important because, as Wolfson (1988) points out, in job to intuitions about language form or grammar, the intuitions of native speakers regarding language use are notoriously poor.Moreover, the use of authentic language included herein makes possible the teaching of pragmatics by nonnative speakers of English. Throughout this volume, the teacher-authors demonstrate many ways to collect authentic language samples on which to base lessons, including -to send for just a few- tape record messages on answering machines, using internationally broadcast English language talk shows, showing educational films, exploring appropriate dry land wide web sites and saving letter and correspondence.The presentation of authentic language samples generally precedes interpretation or business activities, therefore giving learners something to build on. It is important to take into account the fact that, just as teachers cannot rely on their intuition in teaching pragmatics, neither can learners do so in their second/foreign language prior to instruction. Pragmatics can be integrated into the English-language curriculum at the early levels There is no reason to continue to introduce learners to the pragmatics of a second language.In fact, the imbalance between grammatical and pragmatic development may be ameliorated by early attention to pragmatics in instruction. Kontras lesson shows how pragmatics can be introduced to learners even at theme levels. Contents and organization Each chapter has cardinal main sections description of the activity, procedure, principle, alternatives or caveats, and excess pedagogical resources. The chapters specify the level of the learners for whom the lesson was designed, the period required to conduct the lesson, resources needed, and the goal of the activity.The chapters open with a description of the activity, followed by the piecemeal procedure for implementing it with language learners. In the rationale sections, teacher-authors review the reasons behind the development of the activities. Applications of the activities to other learners, settings, modes, or areas of pragmatics ways to expand or elaborate the activities and caveats associated with the activities are all included. Examples appear throughout the chapters, with worksheets and overheads following the chapters.This book is create into five main sections. The chapters in each section are ordered fit to the level of the learners for whom the lesson was designed, beginning with activities for the lowest level learners and progressing to advanced learners. The first section, Awarene ss, presents teaching activities that rivet on raising learners awareness of pragmatic differences between languages. The sections following Awareness asseverate production activities.The activities that focus on production are organized by the area of pragmatics they address conversational management, conversational openings and closings, requests, and free-and-easy life. Conversational Management includes activities that address the chemical mechanism of conversation, such as turn taking, active listening, relevant short responses, and using distrust markers. Conversational Openings and Closings deals with the boundaries of conversations how to begin and end conversations both in person and on the telephone.Requests deals with the specific speech act of asking soul to do something. Finally, Assorted Speech Acts presents a variety of speech acts, including complaining during renovation encounters, turning down invitations, complimenting, and responding to compliments. Finall y, the book has an office designed to help teachers find activities appropriate for their students. To make this easier, the index is organized most major features, such as level of learners, type and content of activity, computer use, and nonverbal communication.