Pragmatics and
Speech Acts
An important area of the field of second/foreign language teaching and learning is pragmatics -- the appropriate use of language in conducting
speech acts such as apologizing, requesting, complimenting, refusing, thanking. This website offers information about speech acts and how they can be learned and taught, and outlines a research project focused on this important topic
Learners of all languages tend to have difficulty understanding the intended meaning communicated by a speech act, or producing a speech act using appropriate language and manner in the language being learned. Research has found that classroom instruction on speech acts can help learners to improve their performance of speech acts and thus their interactions with native speakers.
A collection of research-based descriptions of speech acts which includes practical information for language teachers, advanced learners, and developers of language learning materials.
This extensive annotated bibliography focuses primarily on research studies on speech acts and is organized alphabetically by area of focus.
This innovative research study seeks to determine the impact of specialized speech act training materials on non-natives' ability to learn and use pragmatic information more successfully when speaking a foreign language. The project began with learners of Japanese using learning module about Japanese speech acts (see below). The study will be replicated with learners of Spanish.
The speech act learning module for learners of Japanese features a series of introductory exercises and is followed by five units of exercises to learn about and practice several speech acts in Japanese.
A self-access website designed for learning Spanish pragmatics. It contains an introductory unit, resource unit, and eight learning modules addressing different speech acts. Each module is self-contained and includes video clips, interactive activities, and models for self-correction. Enjoy your journey!
Each summer CARLA offers a wide array of professional development opportunities for K-16 language teachers.
The CARLA bibliography contains more information on publications and presentations by faculty and staff involved in this project.
