Pragmatics in English Language Teaching: Culture Specific Ways of Expression

Bc. Markéta Nováková

Master's thesis

Abstract:

This work attempts to explore the position pragmatics occupies in modern second language teaching. I would like to emphasize the importance of the presence of pragmatic instruction in English language teaching in order to develop learners’ pragmatic competence in a meaningful and natural way. Mastering a language does not only mean acquiring great linguistic competence with focus on accuracy and form. It includes developing pragmatic competence to avoid inappropriate usage of the language. English language teachers tend to underrate pragmatic learning and thus make language teaching and learning artificial. On numerous occasions pragmatic rules for language are applied subconsciously. Native speakers are not always capable of recognizing these rules in their own mother tongue. The execution and comprehension of certain speech acts might be significantly incompatible with conversational management operated in a foreign language. Without instruction, a learner of high grammatical proficiency does not inevitably show equivalent pragmatic development. The classroom is the ideal place for a pragmatic discussion of how the language works and it may lead to absorbing debates on intercultural awareness. I intend to outline the most frequent problematic areas non-native speakers have to cope with in the course of the language acquisition process. I will draw on the most recent methodological research which has been conducted in respect of the second language acquisition. Meticulous attention will be devoted to the Czech learner of English and his or her specifications. A significant part of the thesis will be found in the analysis and comparison of two modern English language textbooks with focus on the way they deal with introducing functional language, namely requests. Learners of English and their teachers are often reliant on textbooks and the ways they mediate the comprehension of a language. The format of a textbook influences the learning process and thus it ought to reflect certain methodological, linguistic and pragmatic knowledge.

Abstract:

This work attempts to explore the position pragmatics occupies in modern second language teaching. I would like to emphasize the importance of the presence of pragmatic instruction in English language teaching in order to develop learners’ pragmatic competence in a meaningful and natural way. Mastering a language does not only mean acquiring great linguistic competence with focus on accuracy and form. It includes developing pragmatic competence to avoid inappropriate usage of the language. English language teachers tend to underrate pragmatic learning and thus make language teaching and learning artificial. On numerous occasions pragmatic rules for language are applied subconsciously. Native speakers are not always capable of recognizing these rules in their own mother tongue. The execution and comprehension of certain speech acts might be significantly incompatible with conversational management operated in a foreign language. Without instruction, a learner of high grammatical proficiency does not inevitably show equivalent pragmatic development. The classroom is the ideal place for a pragmatic discussion of how the language works and it may lead to absorbing debates on intercultural awareness. I intend to outline the most frequent problematic areas non-native speakers have to cope with in the course of the language acquisition process. I will draw on the most recent methodological research which has been conducted in respect of the second language acquisition. Meticulous attention will be devoted to the Czech learner of English and his or her specifications. A significant part of the thesis will be found in the analysis and comparison of two modern English language textbooks with focus on the way they deal with introducing functional language, namely requests. Learners of English and their teachers are often reliant on textbooks and the ways they mediate the comprehension of a language. The format of a textbook influences the learning process and thus it ought to reflect certain methodological, linguistic and pragmatic knowledge.

Keywords

pragmatics, pragmatic competence, pragmatic instruction, level of proficiency, legth of stay, cultural awareness, the Czech learner, language in context, requests, textbooks

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 4. 6. 2008

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 10. 6. 2008
• Supervisor: prof. PhDr. Ludmila Urbanová, CSc.

Masaryk University

Faculty of Arts

Master programme / field:
Teacher Training for Secondary Schools / Upper Secondary School Teacher Training in English Language and Literature