Developing Pragmatic Competence in the EFL Classroom: A Discourse-Based Strategy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22333/ijme.2025.10534Keywords:
Pragmatics; EFL Classroom; Discourse; Discourse-based learning; Pragmatic competence; Interactional competenceAbstract
Pragmatic competence—the ability to interpret and produce language in socially, culturally, and contextually appropriate ways—is a crucial component of communicative proficiency, particularly in EFL contexts where learners often have limited access to authentic interaction. While grammatical and lexical knowledge provides a structural foundation for language use, pragmatic competence enables learners to perform speech acts, manage politeness, interpret indirect meanings, and navigate discourse effectively. Despite its importance, pragmatic skills are frequently underdeveloped in EFL classrooms due to the focus on structural accuracy and the scarcity of natural communicative opportunities.
This study investigates the effectiveness of discourse-based instructional strategies in fostering pragmatic awareness among intermediate EFL learners. Drawing on interlanguage pragmatics and authentic discourse analysis, the research examines how learners interpret and employ pragmatic features—including speech acts, politeness strategies, epistemic modality, and discourse markers—across various social contexts. Participants engaged in role-plays, metapragmatic reflection tasks, and corpus-informed activities that highlighted contextual cues, interactional negotiation, and native-like discourse patterns.
Findings reveal that discourse-based instruction not only enhances learners’ ability to recognize and produce pragmatically appropriate language but also strengthens their interactional competence, metapragmatic awareness, and confidence in real-life communication. The study underscores the pedagogical value of integrating explicit instruction on pragmatic norms into EFL curricula, demonstrating that effective language teaching must address both linguistic and pragmatic dimensions. By linking theoretical insights with classroom practice, the research provides practical guidance for teachers seeking to develop learners’ pragmatic and intercultural communication skills, thereby promoting holistic communicative competence.
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