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Insights into English Language Acquisition: A Summary - Pragmatic Competence
a year agoThe article looks at how well German students learning English in England improved their ability to use language appropriately in different situations.
The researcher tested the students' understanding of polite and impolite phrases in English. After 9 months in England, the students got much better at recognizing impolite phrases. This shows that living in a country helps students learn when to say certain things.
The researcher also asked students to make polite requests in English. Students used more and more polite words over time. But some students improved more than others. This shows that each student learns differently.
The study shows that both time in a country and individual differences affect how well students learn to speak appropriately. Teaching appropriate phrases also helps.
Combining time abroad, teaching, and noticing how native speakers talk leads to the best learning.
Reference:
Schauer, G. A. (2006). The development of ESL learners' pragmatic competence: A longitudinal investigation of awareness and production. Language Awareness, 15(2), 131-152. https://www.academia.edu/1932602/The_development_of_ESL_learners_pragmatic_competence_A_longitudinal_investigation_of_awareness_and_production
