Pragmatics in language learning and teaching
by Maria Tarau - Materials Writer
Decades ago, David Crystal articulated a truth that has yet to reach many English language classrooms around the globe: that the notion of PRAGMATICS should sit at the heart of the way we think of language. He explains that pragmatics is the “study of language from the point of view of users, especially of the choices they make, the constraints they encounter in using language in social interaction, and the effects their use of language has on other participants in the act of communication” (Crystal, 1997, p. 301). Perhaps readers are more familiar with the more recent video in which he yet again articulates the importance of pragmatics:
[G]rammar? […] Vocabulary? […] Pronunciation? Phonology? […] [These are] all subordinate to a much more important concept, and that is […] PRAGMATICS, [which] answers the question ‘WHY?’ […] Pragmatics is the study of the choices you make when you use language; the reasons for those choices; and the effects those choices convey” (Hay Levels, 2014).
In this post I will briefly explore the important, but often overlooked notion of pragmatics in language learning and teaching, from two perspectives: that of an English language learner, and that of a writer of English language learning/teaching materials.
My language learning journey in a non-English speaking country was very similar to how my learners from similar contexts learn English in their home countries. We are given textbooks that mostly cover grammar and vocabulary, focusing on either “American” or “British” English; we are taught to use dictionaries; and we are given formulaic (IELTS) writing phrases which we are told must be used in a certain way. However, one important question arises: how much language learning does occur in such contexts? Do we emerge from 12 years of language instruction as competent target language users? We would often translate a sentence word-by-word using a dictionary; is this useful? Does this strategy help convey the MEANING behind the language, or the FUNCTION of a sentence?
To segue into my second identity mentioned at the beginning of this post, that of a writer of learning materials, I will give a simple example from our Skipper Pass series (2018), which I believe will clearly answer these important questions:
Hiker 1: Why not sit down for a minute and have a drink of water.
Emma: I have to go home […].
Hiker 1: Slow down. Seems like you’ve had a bit of a fright.
Emma: Don’t. (Ryan et al., 2018, p. 63).
Would translating each word a dictionary help us understand this exchange? Do Emma’s answers make sense if we just look at her words? We all know what ‘DON’T’ means, but does that help a learner understand the urgency and fear contained in this simple verb? Not without scaffolding and targeted instruction aimed at bringing to light the notion of pragmatics! This is the real challenge to students coming to study English in English-speaking countries: making sense of what people are saying to them, of what hides behind the words.
Eleven years ago, my language teaching journey brought me to New Zealand and connected me with teachers alongside whom I later became part of the Chasing Time English team. It is encouraging for me to see that our original series incorporate “real-life” language use, and that our teaching and learning materials place a heavy focus on pragmatics. I love having the opportunity to make up for what I missed out on as a learner by being able to write materials and activities that would teach my learners that ‘Do you guys have any plans tomorrow night?’ doesn’t require a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, but rather functions as a pre-invitation; or that the language choices (grammatical, syntactic, lexical) involved in constructing a simple request for help must change according to notions such as politeness and level of familiarity with the interlocutor in order for the request to be context-appropriate (as seen in our teaching materials for our Days Crossing* series). This seems to be what is (still!) missing from traditional textbooks, despite it being at the core of competent target language use.
In an attempt to close this gap, I look forward to more opportunities to channel my two identities discussed here into creating meaningful instructional materials that never overlook pragmatics.
*Our ‘Days Crossing’ series is a finalist in British Council’s ELTons Awards 2021, in the ‘Innovation in learner resources’ category; winners to be announced mid-November.
References
Crystal, D. (1997). English as a global language. Cambridge University Press.
Hay Levels (2014, November 11). ENGLISH LANG: Pragmatics – David Crystal. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xc0KUD1umw
Ryan, J., Nakahama, Y., Tarau, M., & Rabbidge, M. (2018). Skippers Pass. Chasing Time English.