Raising EFL Learners’ Pragmatic Competence via Teaching Compliments: The Case of Explicit vs Implicit Instruction in Focus
الموضوعات : Journal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English
Hossein Isaee
1
(Department of English Language and Literature, Ayatollah Amoli Branch, Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran)
Hamed Barjesteh
2
(Department of English Language and Literature, Ayatollah Amoli Branch, Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran)
الکلمات المفتاحية: Compliment, Explicit Instruction, Implicit Instruction, Pragmatics, Pragmatic Competence,
ملخص المقالة :
Teaching the English language involves not only the lexical and grammatical systems but also the implicatures, implied meanings, and the influence of context/culture on interpretation (Tanduk, 2023), which are invisible and hard to teach. In effect, the researchers aimed to investigate whether explicit and implicit instruction of compliment speech acts could help EFL learners achieve pragmatic appropriateness in authentic communication. The study comprised 60 intermediate EFL learners, 21 males, and 39 females, from a private English language institute in Amol. Participants were divided into two groups of 30 learners each - explicit and non-explicit. The teacher-researchers taught both groups how to give and respond to compliments, using explicit techniques for one group and implicit techniques for the other. Participants received a Written Discourse Completion Task (WDCT) before and after the intervention to evaluate their pragmatic competence. The obtained data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), and a noteworthy disparity between the pre-test and post-test scores of both groups was revealed. Although both methods enhanced the pragmatic competence of EFL learners, the explicit group demonstrated more significant improvement compared to the implicit group. Findings testify that appropriate instruction can lead to better outcomes.
Ahmadpour, R., Maleki. H., & Mehdizade. A. H. (2020). Comparison of implicit and explicit curriculum in the development of high school students’ personality from students’ point of view: Curriculum research. Curriculum Research,1(2), 53-64.
Akmal, H., Syahriyani, A., & Handayani, T. (2022). The request speech act of Indonesian English learners and Australian English speakers through cross-cultural pragmatic perspectives. LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network, 15(2).
Alcón-Soler, E. (2019). Effects of task-supported language teaching on learners’ use and knowledge of email request mitigators. In N. Taguchi, & Y. Kim (Eds.), Task-based approaches to teaching and assessing pragmatics (pp. 55-81). John Benjamins. Retrieved January26, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.1075/tblt.10
Alkawaz, A., Afrouz, M., Nejadansari, D., & Dabaghi, A. (2023). The effect of explicit pragmatic instruction on EFL students' production of speech acts: Pragmalinguistic vs. Sociopragmatic errors in focus. Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning, 15(31), 1-17.
Altun, L., & Dinçer, R. (2020). A comparison of implicit and explicit teaching in terms of grammar and writing skills of intermediate learners. Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education, 9(1), 96-105. Retrieved January21, 2024 from: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/buefad/issue/51796/601184
Bachman, L. (1990). Fundamental considerations in language testing. Oxford University Press.
Bagherkazemi, M. (2018). Impact of collaborative output-based instruction on EFL learners’ awareness of the speech act of apology. Journal of Language and Translation, 8(4), 45-54.
Bardovi-Harlig, K. (2013). Developing L2 pragmatics. Lang. Learn. 63, 68–86. Retrieved January26, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2012.00738.x
Barjesteh, H., Mukundan, J., & Vaseghi, R. (2014). A synthesis of language learning strategies: Current issues, problems and claims made in learner strategy research. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 5(6), 68-74.
Billmyer, K. (1990). I really like your lifestyle: ESL Learners Learning How to compliment. Penn Working Papers in Educational Linguistics, 6(2), pp. 31-48.
Birjandi, P., and Derakhshan, A. (2014). The impact of consciousness-raising video-driven vignettes on the pragmatic development of apology, request, and refusal. Appl. Res. Eng. Lang. 3, 67–85. doi: 10.22108/are.2014.15479
Blum-Kulka, S., House, J., & Kasper. G. (1989). Cross-cultural pragmatics: Requests and apologies. Ablex.
Blyth, C., & Sykes, J. (2020). Technology-enhanced L2 instructional pragmatics. Language Learning and Technology, 24(2), 1-7.
Bonalumi, F., Mahr, J. B., Marie, P., & Pouscoulous, N. (2023). Beyond the implicit/explicit dichotomy: the pragmatics of plausible deniability. Review of Philosophy and Psychology, 1-23. Retrieved January26, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13164-023-00699-5
Cohen, A. D. (2008). Teaching and assessing L2 pragmatics: What can we expect from learners? Language Teaching, 41(2), 213-235. doi: 10.1017/S0261444807004880
Crozet, C. (2003). A conceptual framework to help teachers identify where culture is isolated in language use. In J. Lo Bianco & C. Crozet (Eds.), Teaching Invisible Culture- Classroom Practice and Theory (pp. 39-49). Melbourne: Language Australia.
Crozet, C., & Liddicoat, A. J. (1999). The challenge of intercultural language teaching: Engaging with culture in the classroom. Striving for the third place: Intercultural competence through language education, 113-125. Retrieved January27, 2024 from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED432918.pdf#page=119
Culpeper, J., Mackey, A., and Taguchi, N. (2018). Second language pragmatics: From theory to research. Routledge.
Cyluk, A. (2013). Discourse completion task: Its validity and reliability in research projects on speech acts. Anglica. An International Journal of English Studies, 22(2), 100–111.
De Castro, L. S. T. (2022). Integrating task-based learning and pragmatics: Some practical ideas. Brazilian English Language Teaching Journal, 13(1). Retrieved December28, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.15448/2178-3640.2022.1.42606
Decoo, W. (1996). The induction-deduction opposition: Ambiguities and complexities of the didactic reality. IRAL - International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 34(2). Retrieved January25, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.1515/iral.1996.34.2.95
Derakhshan, A., & Arabmofrad, A. (2018). The impact of instruction on the pragmatic comprehension of speech acts of apology, request, and refusal among Iranian intermediate EFL learners. Engl. Teach. Learn. 42, 75–94. Retrieved January27, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42321-018-0004-6
Derakhshan, A., & Cohen, A. D. (2021). Introduction to the TESL-EJ special issue on teaching, learning, assessing, and researching L2 pragmatics in Honor of Prof. Zohreh R. Eslami. TESL-EJ, 25(1).
Derakhshan, A., & Eslami Rasekh, Z. (2020). The effect of metapragmatic awareness, interactive translation, and discussion through video-enhanced input on EFL learners’ comprehension of implicature. Applied Research on English Language, 9(1), 25-52. doi: 10.22108/ARE.2019.118062.1476
Derakhshan, A., & Eslami, Z. (2015). The effect of consciousness-raising instruction on the comprehension of apology and request. TESL-EJ, 18(4), n4.
Derakhshan, A., & Malmir, A. (2021). The role of language aptitude in the development of L2 pragmatic competence. TESL-EJ 25(1), 1–30. Retrieved January26, 2024 from: http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/issues/volume25/ej97/ej97a0/
Derakhshan, A., & Shakki, F. (2020). The effect of implicit vs. explicit metapragmatic instruction on the Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ pragmatic comprehension of apology and refusal. ZABANPAZHUHI (Journal of Language Research), 12(35), 151-175.
Derakhshan, A., Malmir, A., & Greenier, V. (2021). Interlanguage pragmatic learning strategies (IPLS) as predictors of L2 speech act knowledge: a case of Iranian EFL learners. The Journal of Asia TEFL 18, 235–243. doi: 10.18823/asiatefl.2021.18.1.14.235
Dunham, P. (1992). Using compliments in the ESL classroom: An analysis of culture and gender. Minn. TESOL Journal, 10, pp. 75-85.
Fudholi, A., Hermawan, M. A., Ngatoillah, N., & Rosadi, N. (2023). Directive and assertive speech act in the short story Sleep Deprived by Charissa E. Propaganda, 3(1). Retrieved January26, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.37010/prop.v3i1.1144
Geluykens, R. (2007). Investigating complaints in business English. An evaluation of data collection methods. Economically speaking. Essays in honour of Chris Braecke, 31-46.
Gökgöz-Kurt, B. (2023). The effects of instruction type on the pragmatic development of compliments and compliment responses in L2 English learners. Journal of Language Education and Research, 9(1), 21-42. doi:10.31464/jlere.1187150
Hernández, T. A. (2021). Explicit instruction for the development of L2 Spanish pragmatic ability during study abroad. System 96, 102395. doi: 10.1016/j.system.2020.102395
Holmes, J. (1988). Paying compliments: A sex-preferential politeness strategy. Journal of Pragmatics, 12(4), 445-465.
Holmes, J., & Brown. D. (1987). Teachers and students learning about compliments. TESOL Quarterly, 21(4), 523–546. doi.org/10.2307/3586501
Huang, N. (2022). Revisiting L2 pragmatic competence through implicit vs. explicit instructional framework. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 987729. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.987729
Hymes, D. (1972). On communicative competence. In Sociolinguistics, eds J. Pride and J. Holmes (Harmondsworth, ENG: Penguin Books), 269–293.
Irshad, A., & Bukhari, N. H. (2020). Investigating the effect of explicit instruction on the development of pragmatic competence of Pakistani Learners of English. Kashmir Journal of Language Research, 23(1).
Isaee, H., & Barjesteh, H. (2023). EFL teachers' professional development needs: A comparative phenomenological analysis for face-to-face and online instruction. Journal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English, 12(2), 45-56.
Ishihara, N. (2004). Exploring the immediate and delayed effects of formal instruction: Teaching giving and responding to compliments. Minnesota TESOL/WITESOL Journal, 21, 37-71.
Ishihara, N., & Cohen, A. D. (2014). Teaching and learning pragmatics: Where language and culture meet. Routledge.
Jeon, E. H., & Kaya, T. (2006). Effects of L2 instruction on interlanguage pragmatic development. Synthesizing research on language learning and teaching, 165, 211.
Kaivanpanah, S., and Langari, M. T. (2020). The effect of Bloom-based activities and Vygotskian scaffolding on Iranian EFL learners’ use of the speech act of request. Current Psychology, 4, 273–297. doi: 10.1007/s12144-020-01053-z
Kasper, G. (1997). The role of pragmatics in language teaching education. In K. Bardovi-Harlig and B. Hartford (Eds.). Beyond methods: Components of second language teacher education. McGraw-Hill
Kasper, G., & Dahl, M. (1991). Research methods in interlanguage pragmatics. Studies in second language acquisition, 13(2), 215-247.
Kasper, G., & Roever, C. (2005). Pragmatics in second language learning. Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning, 317-334.
Kasper, G., & Rose, K. (2002). Pragmatic development in a second language. Blackwell.
Kasper, G., & Schmidt, R. (1996). Developmental issues in Interlanguage pragmatics. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 18, 149-169.
Kim, Y. (2022). The interface between instructed L2 pragmatics and TBLT research. A review of instructional materials. Applied Pragmatics, 4(2), 159-177. Retrieved January24, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.1075/ap.00007.kim
Liu, J., & Xie, L. (2014). Examining rater effects in a WDCT pragmatics test. International Journal of Language Testing, 4(1), 50-65.
LoCastro, V. (2003). An Introduction to pragmatics: Social action for language teachers. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press.
Long, M. (1991). Focus on form: A design feature in language teaching methodology. In K. de Bot, R. Ginsberg, & C. Kramsch (Eds.), Foreign Language Research in Cross-cultural Perspective (pp. 39-52). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Malmir, A. (2020). The effect of interactionist vs. interventionist models of dynamic assessment on L2 learners’ pragmatic comprehension accuracy and speed. Issues in Language Teaching, 9(1), 279–320. doi: 10.22054/ilt.2020.53398.515
Malmir, A., & Derakhshan, A. (2020). The socio-pragmatic, lexico-grammatical, and cognitive strategies in L2 pragmatic comprehension: The case of Iranian male vs. female EFL learners. Iran. J. Lang. Teach, Res. 8,74. Retrieved January 24, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.30466/ijltr.2020.120805
Nguyen, M. T. T., & Basturkmen, H. (2023). Task design features and pragmatics learning: A systematic review of recent research. Language Teaching Research, 34, 19-34. Retrieved January 26, 2024 from: https://www.eurokd.com/doi/10.32038/ltrq.2023.34.02
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. Retrieved January 26, 2024 from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378216612000057
Norris, J. M., & Ortega, L. (2001). Does the type of instruction make a difference? Substantive findings from a meta-analytic review. Lang. Learn. 51, 157–213. Retrieved January 26, 2024 from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-1770.2001.tb00017.x
Plonsky, L., & Kim, Y. (2016). Task-based learner production: A substantive and methodological review. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 36, 73–97. Retrieved January 22, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190516000015
Plonsky, L., & Zhuang, J. (2019). A meta-analysis of L2 pragmatics instruction. In The Routledge Handbook of second language acquisition and pragmatics (pp. 287-307). Routledge.
Rajabi, S., & Farahian, M. (2013). The effects of pragmatic instruction on EFL learners’ awareness of suggestions. Modern Journal of Language Teaching Methods, 3(3), 28–38.
Rezvani, E., Eslami-Rasekh, A., & Dastjerdi, H. (2014). Investigating the effects of explicit and implicit instruction on Iranian EFL learners’ pragmatic development: Speech acts of request and suggestion in focus. International Journal of Research Studies in Language Learning, 3(7), 1-12.
Risselada, R. (2019). Directives as speech acts. In imperatives and other directive expressions in Latin. Retrieved January 25, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004408975_004
Rose, K. R. (2005). On the effects of instruction in second language pragmatics. System 33, 385–399. Retrieved January 26, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2005.06.003
Safdari, S. (2019). Imagination, senses, and motivation: How are sensory styles, imagery capacity, and gender related to motivational attributes of Iranian EFL learners? Issues in Language Teaching, 8(2), 275-303.
Schmidt, R. (1993). Consciousness, learning, and interlanguage pragmatics. Interlanguage pragmatics, 21(42), 1-31.
Shakki, F. (2022). Meta-analysis as an emerging trend to scrutinize the effectiveness of L2 pragmatics instruction. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1016661.
Shakki, F. (2022). Meta-analysis as an emerging trend to scrutinize the effectiveness of L2 pragmatics instruction. Front. Psychol. 13,1016661. doi 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1016661
Shakki, F., Naeini, J., Mazandarani, O., & Derakhshan, A. (2021). Instructed second language pragmatics for the speech act of apology in an Iranian EFL context: A meta-analysis. Applied Research on English Language, 10(3), 77-104. doi: 10.22108/ARE.2021.128213.1709
Taguchi, N. (2015). Instructed pragmatics at a glance: Where instructional studies were, are, and should be going. Language Teaching, 48(1), 1–50. Retrieved January 27, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444814000263
Taguchi, N. (2019). Second language acquisition and pragmatics: An overview. The Routledge handbook of second language acquisition and pragmatics, 1-14. Retrieved January 25, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351164085-1
Tajeddin, Z., & Alemi, M. (eds.). (2020). Pragmatics pedagogy in English as an international language. Routledge.
Tanduk, R. (2023). Pragmatic aspects of speech acts: A cross-linguistic perspective. English Review: Journal of English Education, 11(3), 881-890.
Tanduk, R., Maruf, N., & Suluh, S. (2021). Myths and ideology in the customary ritual of
Thomas, J. (1983). Cross-cultural pragmatic failure. Applied Linguistics 4, 91–112.
Timpe Laughlin, V., Wain, J., & Schmidgall, J. (2015). Defining and operationalizing the construct of pragmatic competence: Review and recommendations. ETS Res. Rep. Series 2015, 1–43. Retrieved January 25, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.1002/ets2.12053
Tulgar, A. T. (2016). The role of pragmatic competence in foreign language education. Turkish Online J. Engl. Lang. Teach. 1, 10–19. Retrieved January 22, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.32959/tojelt.229304
Ulfa, N., Haryanto, S., & Setyabudi, T. (2023). Compliments and compliment responses in YouTube comments. Eltin Journal: Journal of English Language Teaching in Indonesia, 11(2), 212-221.
Weisman, E. (1985). Towards an analysis of opaque utterances: Hints as a request strategy. Theoretical Linguistics. 12(2), 153- 163. Retrieved January 27, 2024 from: https://doi.org/10.1515/thli.1985.12.s1.153
Yousefi, M., & Nassaji, H. (2019). A meta-analysis of the effects of instruction and corrective feedback on L2 pragmatics and the role of moderator variables: face-to-face vs. computer-mediated instruction. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 170(2), 277-308. doi: 10.1075/itl.19012.you
Ziafar, M. (2020). The influence of explicit, implicit, and contrastive lexical approaches on pragmatic competence: The case of Iranian EFL learners. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 58(1), 103-131.
