Iranian EFL Instructors' Perspectives on Pragmatics Instruction: Exploring Gender and Teaching Experience Differences
Marzieh Rahaei
1
(
)
Hossein Vahid Dastjerdi
2
(
)
Mohammad Reza Talebinejad
3
(
)
Hadi Salehi
4
(
)
Omid tabatabaei
5
(
)
Keywords: Gender, Instructors' Perspectives, Pragmatics Instruction, Teaching Experience,
Abstract :
This research paper examines the perspectives of Iranian male and female EFL instructors towards pragmatics instruction, with a focus on exploring the differences based on gender and teaching experience. Drawing from a comprehensive thesis, the paper investigates the instructors' views on the strengths and weaknesses of current resources for pragmatics instruction, the challenges they face in teaching pragmatics, and their suggestions for enhancing pragmatics education. Moreover, the study explores how Iranian male and female EFL instructors' perceptions of explicit instruction in promoting learners' pragmatic competence vary based on their gender and teaching experience. To achieve all these aims, the study employed an exploratory sequential design, including pre-test and post-test measures, interviews, and survey questionnaires to collect and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data. The participants were 100 Iranian English language instructors who taught at the university level. They were selected through convenient sampling and divided into two groups: the treatment and control groups. The treatment group received a training program on pragmatics instruction, while the control group did not receive any specific training. The findings suggest that while both male and female instructors recognize the importance of pragmatics instruction, they face distinct challenges and have differing perspectives on the effectiveness of explicit teaching approaches. The study also highlights the need for tailored professional development opportunities to address the specific concerns and requirements of EFL instructors with varying levels of teaching experience. These findings offer valuable implications for second language teaching and learning in the Iranian context.
Alcon-Soler, E. (2015). Pragmatic learning and study abroad: Effects of instruction and length of stay. System, 48, 62-74.
Bardovi-Harlig, K., & Vellenga, H. E. (2012). The effect of instruction on conventional expressions in L2 pragmatics. System, 40(1), 77-89.
Belz, J. A. (2007). The role of computer mediation in the instruction and development of L2 pragmatic competence. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 27, 45-75.
Bialystok, E. (1993). Symbolic representation and attentional control in pragmatic competence. In G. Kasper & S. Blum-Kulka (Eds.), Interlanguage pragmatics (pp. 43-57). Oxford University Press.
Cohen, A. D. (2008). Teaching and assessing L2 pragmatics: What can we expect from learners? Language Teaching, 41(2), 213-235.
Farahian, M., Rezaee, M., & Gholami, A. (2012). Does direct instruction develop pragmatic competence? Teaching refusals to EFL learners of English. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 3(4), 814-821.
Halenko, 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.
Ifantidou, E. (2013). Pragmatic competence and explicit instruction. Journal of Pragmatics, 59, 93-116.
Kasper, G., & Rose, K. R. (2001). Pragmatic development in a second language. Language Learning, 51(1), 1-52.
Kim, H. Y., & Taguchi, N. (2015). Promoting task-based pragmatics instruction in EFL classroom contexts: The role of task complexity. The Modern Language Journal, 99(4), 656-677.
Koike, D. A., & Pearson, L. (2005). The effect of instruction and feedback in the development of pragmatic competence. System, 33(3), 481-501.
LoCastro, V. (1997). Pedagogical intervention and pragmatic competence development. Applied Language Learning, 8(1), 75-109.
LoCastro, V. (2012). Pragmatics for language educators: A sociolinguistic perspective. Routledge.
Narita, R. (2012). The effects of pragmatic instruction on the development of pragmatic awareness and the use of hearsay evidential markers by Japanese ESL learners. The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language, 16(1), 1-20.
O'Keeffe, A., Clancy, B., & Adolphs, S. (2011). Introducing pragmatics in use. Routledge.
Rose, K. R. (2005). On the effects of instruction in second language pragmatics. System, 33(3), 385-399.
Taguchi, N. (2007). Development of speed and accuracy in pragmatic comprehension in English as a foreign language. TESOL Quarterly, 41(2), 313-338.
