Teacher’s Corner: Simple Ways to Incorporate Pragmatics in the EFL Classroom

What is the meaning of pragmatics?
In linguistics, the term pragmatics refers to more than just practicality, as one might expect from the word “pragmatic” in general knowledge. To illustrate, consider the following scenario:

A young teacher, recently relocated to a foreign country, visits a bank to conduct a transfer. Unfamiliar with the language and customs of her new environment, she encounters a puzzling situation. While processing the transaction, the bank teller inquires, “Did you eat?” Despite comprehending the grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation used by the teller, the teacher struggles to respond. She finds it odd to be asked about her meal consumption during a business transaction, as in her culture, such a question typically serves as an invitation to dine together or an offer of food. After a moment of hesitation, she replies affirmatively, still perplexed by the inquiry’s purpose. It later becomes clear to her, through discussions with colleagues, that in the host country, “Did you eat?” is simply a customary greeting akin to “How are you?” devoid of any dining invitation.

This anecdote exemplifies pragmatics, highlighting that effective communication extends beyond mere word usage.
Understanding Pragmatics
The mentioned scenario underscores how individuals’ differing interpretations of the same words can lead to misunderstandings in communication. Cultural backgrounds and social contexts significantly influence language usage. Pragmatics focuses on utilizing language appropriately within social parameters. Pragmatic competence involves understanding pragmatics and applying this knowledge. Deciphering pragmatic meaning can be challenging since speakers may not always express their true intentions directly, and listeners may not always grasp the intended message accurately.
So, why do speakers at times avoid direct communication of their messages? In certain instances, directness may be perceived as overly abrupt. For example, Americans often find inquiries about age too forward. Conversely, in some cultures, asking “How old are you?” serves as a common practice to establish appropriate address forms. Various cultures may rely on indirect hints rather than explicit communication to convey messages. For instance, instead of directly requesting someone to close a door, a person might remark, “It’s cold in here.” Even within a single culture and language group, individuals may adapt their language use based on the context. An article titled “Pragmatic Activities for the Speaking Classroom” by Joseph Siegal illustrates how apologizing for lateness to an employer requires different language and strategies compared to apologizing to a friend. Similarly, voicing concerns about working conditions to a colleague differs from addressing the same issues with a manager. Proficient communicators must possess the skills to adapt their communication style appropriately to varying situations.

Subsequent to the bank encounter described earlier, the young teacher encountered numerous other instances in the host country where locals posed unexpected questions about personal matters like age, salary, and shoe size. Besides grappling with the host culture’s communication norms, the teacher also experienced instances where her own messages were misconstrued. For example, during a supermarket visit, when the teacher declined a bag, the cashier appeared surprised, leaving the teacher perplexed. Later insights revealed that responding with “That’s okay” would have been a more polite refusal. Upon grasping the concept of pragmatics, the teacher began contemplating ways to integrate pragmatics into English language lesson plans, aiming to enhance communication skills across languages and cultures for both herself and her students.

Teaching Pragmatics
Understanding the pragmatic nuances of a language equips learners to navigate diverse communication scenarios effectively. What does pragmatics entail for English language educators? It is crucial to recognize that there is no singular best approach to teaching pragmatics. Teachers can incorporate pragmatic information into existing lesson structures or introduce pragmatic concepts as the need arises. For instance, prompted by repeated encounters with culturally taboo questions, the young teacher devised a lesson on inappropriate queries when meeting someone for the first time, initiating discussions on this cross-cultural issue with students. Pragmatics lessons often revolve around various language functions such as greetings, requests, complaints, invitations, and apologies, often delving into comparisons between home and target cultures, with potential inclusion of other cultural perspectives as well.
Pragmatics sessions may involve speech act sets, which encompass strategies tailored to specific language functions. For instance, in the context of offering an apology, an English speech act could encompass strategies like expressing regret (e.g., “I’m sorry for being late”), acknowledging responsibility (e.g., “It is my fault”), providing an explanation (e.g., “The reason this happened is that I forgot to set my alarm”), offering to make amends (e.g., “I will buy you lunch”), and pledging non-recurrence (e.g., “It will never happen again”). While delivering an apology, speakers may employ a combination of these strategies to convey their message effectively.
Initiating pragmatics education at early language proficiency levels is feasible, as evidenced by the significance of pragmatic cues within basic language functions like greetings. English language instructors aim to enhance learners’ awareness of their communication choices in the target language. Although textbooks may not consistently cover pragmatic competence, and teacher training programs might not extensively address pragmatics, a wealth of resources for teaching pragmatics, including those available on the American English website, can aid educators in fostering effective cross-cultural communication skills.
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Photo Credits (From Top): Jessica Da Rosa on Unsplash; Alexis Brown on Unsplash; Adam Solomon on Unsplash; Rémi Walle on Unsplash; and Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

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