On completing this course students will:
1. understand the fundamental theories in pragmatics;
2. analyze language data based on concepts from pragmatics;
3. design a lesson plan with key concepts and principles in light of pragmatics;
4. be able to relate pragmatic issues to themselves as language learners and teachers; and
5. critically discuss and comment on applying the trends and approaches of pragmatics into EFL
classroom instruction.

On completing this course students will:
1. understand the fundamental theories in pragmatics;
2. analyze language data based on concepts from pragmatics;
3. design a lesson plan with key concepts and principles in light of pragmatics;
4. be able to relate pragmatic issues to themselves as language learners and teachers; and
5. critically discuss and comment on applying the trends and approaches of pragmatics into EFL
classroom instruction.

This course offers an overview of pragmatics which is concerned with “the study of meaning as communicated by a speaker (or writer) and interpreted by a listener (or reader)” (Yule, 2008, p. 3). The course content covers theories and application relevant to foreign language education, along with empirical studies on speech acts showing that words can be used not only to present information but also to carry out, if not perform, actions. Students will be fostered to put pragmatic theories into practice in EFL contexts on one hand and explore research interests for their thesis on the other.

This course offers an overview of pragmatics which is concerned with “the study of meaning as communicated by a speaker (or writer) and interpreted by a listener (or reader)” (Yule, 2008, p. 3). The course content covers theories and application relevant to foreign language education, along with empirical studies on speech acts showing that words can be used not only to present information but also to carry out, if not perform, actions. Students will be fostered to put pragmatic theories into practice in EFL contexts on one hand and explore research interests for their thesis on the other.

1. Required Texts:
Ishihara, N., & Cohen, A. D. (2014). Teaching and learning pragmatics: Where language and culture meet (2nd Edition). New York: Routledge.
Note: Students may use the first edition which is available online.


* Supplementary reading materials will be available for students to make a copy. The tentative list of readings related to the topics discussed in this course is as follows.


1) Overview of Pragmatics
Bardovi-Harlig, K., & Griffin, R. (2005). L2 pragmatic awareness: Evidence from the ESL
classroom. System, 33(3), 401-415.

Bardovi-Harlig, K (2010). Pragmatics and second language acquisition. In R. B. Kaplan (Ed.) (2nd edition), The Oxford handbook of applied linguistics (pp. 363-377). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2) Interlanguage Pragmatic Development
Chang, Y. F. (2011). Interlanguage pragmatic development: the relation between pragmalinguistic competence and sociopragmatic competence. Language Sciences, 33(5), 786-798.

Kasper, G. (1992). Pragmatic transfer. Interlanguage studies bulletin (Utrecht), 8(3), 203-231.


3) Pragmatic instruction and assessment
Boxer, D., & Pickering, L. (1995). Problems in the presentation of speech acts in ELT materials: The case of complaints. ELT journal, 49(1), 44-58.

Brown, J. D. (2008). Raters, functions, item types and the dependability of L2 pragmatics tests. In E.
A. Soler & A. Martínez-Flor (Eds.), Investigating pragmatics in foreign language learning, teaching and testing (pp. 224-248). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Gonzalez-Lloret, M. (2008). Computer-mediated learning of L2 pragmatics. In E. A. Soler & A.
Martínez-Flor (Eds.), Investigating pragmatics in foreign language learning, teaching and testing (pp. 114-132). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Kondo, S. (2008). Effects on pragmatic development through awareness-raising instruction: Refusals by Japanese EFL learners. In E. A. Soler & A. Martínez-Flor (Eds.), Investigating pragmatics in foreign language learn

1. Required Texts:
Ishihara, N., & Cohen, A. D. (2014). Teaching and learning pragmatics: Where language and culture meet (2nd Edition). New York: Routledge.
Note: Students may use the first edition which is available online.


* Supplementary reading materials will be available for students to make a copy. The tentative list of readings related to the topics discussed in this course is as follows.


1) Overview of Pragmatics
Bardovi-Harlig, K., & Griffin, R. (2005). L2 pragmatic awareness: Evidence from the ESL
classroom. System, 33(3), 401-415.

Bardovi-Harlig, K (2010). Pragmatics and second language acquisition. In R. B. Kaplan (Ed.) (2nd edition), The Oxford handbook of applied linguistics (pp. 363-377). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2) Interlanguage Pragmatic Development
Chang, Y. F. (2011). Interlanguage pragmatic development: the relation between pragmalinguistic competence and sociopragmatic competence. Language Sciences, 33(5), 786-798.

Kasper, G. (1992). Pragmatic transfer. Interlanguage studies bulletin (Utrecht), 8(3), 203-231.


3) Pragmatic instruction and assessment
Boxer, D., & Pickering, L. (1995). Problems in the presentation of speech acts in ELT materials: The case of complaints. ELT journal, 49(1), 44-58.

Brown, J. D. (2008). Raters, functions, item types and the dependability of L2 pragmatics tests. In E.
A. Soler & A. Martínez-Flor (Eds.), Investigating pragmatics in foreign language learning, teaching and testing (pp. 224-248). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Gonzalez-Lloret, M. (2008). Computer-mediated learning of L2 pragmatics. In E. A. Soler & A.
Martínez-Flor (Eds.), Investigating pragmatics in foreign language learning, teaching and testing (pp. 114-132). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Kondo, S. (2008). Effects on pragmatic development through awareness-raising instruction: Refusals by Japanese EFL learners. In E. A. Soler & A. Martínez-Flor (Eds.), Investigating pragmatics in foreign language learn