Making Pragmatics and Grammar Work Hand in Hand

Page No.: 
340
Writer(s): 
Sanae Oda-Sheehan, Ochanomizu University

Reference Data:

Oda-Sheehan, S. (2016). Making pragmatics and grammar work hand in hand. In P. Clements, A. Krause, & H. Brown (Eds.), Focus on the Learner. Tokyo: JALT.

Language learners can make unintentional pragmatic mistakes that may lead to serious problems in communication and result in grave consequences. Unfortunately, pragmatic features are less likely to be addressed in the Japanese EFL classroom. Through the use of questionnaire surveys, this study was aimed at exploring possible ways to raise pragmatic awareness and promote pedagogical effort. The results indicate that pragmatic awareness could be improved by teaching pragmatic features through grammar lessons, and they suggest that pragmatics and grammar could be used in the classroom to bring about the desired learning effect. The implication that pragmatic pedagogy could be successfully combined with grammar pedagogy is encouraging to both learners and teachers, especially Japanese teachers of English who may struggle to balance the need for communicative teaching and grammar instruction in the demanding classroom realities they face.

日本のEFL環境における語用論学習への取組みは乏しく、学習者の文法能力と語用論的意識にはしばしば大きな乖離が見られる。コミュニケーションにおける語用論的誤りは、言語上の問題でありながら話者の人間性の問題と受け止められ、対話者間に感情的確執を招き深刻な問題へ発展する恐れがある。本研究では、教育現場での語用論指導を促すことを目的に、学習者の言語語用論的意識が大学受験指導を目的とした文法授業を通しいかに改善したかを報告する。語用論と文法学習の融合が可能であるという示唆は、コミュニケーション重視型指導と受験に備えた文法重視型指導の間でジレンマに悩む教師にとっても朗報であるに違いない。

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