The enhancement of pragmatic skills in language learning based on collaborative group work in a pre-intermediate english class in “Sagrados Corazones” Secondary School

Abstract

It is acknowledged that learning a language involves the recognition and use of grammar and vocabulary that communicates the intended meaning. More specifically, learning a language also requires knowing the appropriate language expressions within a specific context (summarized in this paper by the concept of “pragmatics”). To effectively accomplish this, it is thought to be advisable for a teacher to encourage students to work collaboratively using pragmatic skills when working together. A review of the literature suggests that the enhancement of pragmatic skills and working in groups can influence students’ clarity of language use. This research study reports how pre-intermediate Ecuadorian students were encouraged to use pragmatic expressions while working together in collaborative groups with explicit instruction. A pre-test involving pragmatic issues and examples, and a post-test measuring students’ ability to recognize and use them were administered to two classes with 16 participants in each. Teacher observation was also carried out in both groups focusing on the way participants collaborate and interact with others. Participants were also interviewed to mention their perceptions about the project. The findings of this study suggest that the treatment group performed better than the control group when encouraged to use pragmatic expressions that were necessary to communicate ordinary as well as more complicated ideas and work collaboratively in their groups.