Classroom Research on Pragmatics

Abstract

Pragmatic competence involves the ability to produce and comprehend meaning and intentions in an appropriate way, given a particular social and cultural context. Dealing with pragmatic competence in the classroom context is a complex phenomenon since attention needs to be paid to how language, language users, and context of interaction interplay. Classroom organization is therefore essential in terms of what kind of input, opportunities for communicative practice, and provision of feedback are offered for learners to develop their pragmatic competence. This entry offers an overview of the research conducted in classroom contexts in three main areas: (a) opportunities for pragmatic development available in different classroom contexts, (b) types of classroom‐based research conducted on pragmatics, and (c) data collection methods employed to gather pragmatic‐related information in the classroom.