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Learning language in context during study abroad: L2 pragmatics

Rachel Shively is Assistant Professor of Spanish and Applied Linguistics in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Illinois State University. Her research focuses on second language acquisition, second language pragmatics, discourse analysis, and language and culture learning during study abroad.

A study abroad experience in a target-language-speaking country offers second language (L2) learners the opportunity to engage in social interaction with members of the host country and to put the target language (TL) to use in a variety of everyday contexts. The immersion environment of study abroad can benefit learners’ speaking, listening, reading, writing, and vocabulary skills (e.g., Brecht, Davidson, & Ginsberg, 1995; Coleman, 1996; Freed, Segalowitz, & Dewey, 2004; Kinginger, 2009; Milton & Meara, 1995), but it can also help learners to enhance their L2 pragmatic competency, that is, their ability to use the TL appropriately in different social situations, for different purposes, and with individuals of different ages, social statuses, and relationships to the student (e.g., Félix-Brasdefer, 2004; Kinginger, 2008; Shively, 2011). Because languages can vary with regard to the behaviors and specific language forms that are socially appropriate in a given context, study abroad students may be faced with preferred ways of interacting that differ from those of their first language and culture. For example, while American English speakers tend to make requests in service encounters using phrases with the first person such as “I need…”, “I want…”, and “Can I have…”, Peninsular Spanish speakers more often employ expressions referring to the second person such as “Give me…” and “Can you give me…” (e.g., Bataller, 2010; Pinto, 2005; Shively, 2011). Likewise, American English speakers tend to make fewer verbalizations in the role of listener in everyday conversation (e.g., mhm, yeah, uh huh) compared to Japanese speakers (e.g., Ishida, 2009; Maynard, 1986). Cross-cultural variation is also observed in speech acts such as greetings, apologies, and invitations, in conversational style, and humor (e.g., Barron, 2003; Edstrom, 2000; Kasper & Rose, 2002; Shardakova, 2005), among other facets of language. Given that the way in which study abroad students employ the L2 can impact how they are perceived in the host country in terms of politeness, friendliness, and respectfulness, language use has important social implications, including the ability to establish and maintain relationships with members of the host country.

Research on L2 pragmatic development during study abroad suggests that, in some cases, study abroad students increase their awareness of L2 pragmatic norms and may begin to adopt new ways of using language in context. For example, Kinginger (2008) reported that American study abroad learners of French developed awareness about the contexts in which tu and vous are appropriate and, to some extent, increased their contextually appropriate use of these pronouns. In uninstructed settings, study abroad students can learn about L2 pragmatic norms through observing expert speakers of the L2 using the language in context and through explicit feedback from host families about language use (e.g., DuFon, 1999; Siegal, 1994; Shively, 2011). It has long been observed, however, that learning pragmatics in uninstructed contexts generally proceeds at a slow pace (e.g., Félix-Brasdefer, 2004; Olshtain & Blum-Kulka, 1985), although some features tend to be learned more quickly than others; for example, greetings and leave-takings in Indonesian may be acquired fairly early (e.g., Hassell, 2006), but the complex act of refusing an invitation in Spanish is acquired quite late (Félix-Brasdefer, 2004).

Although study abroad students can learn L2 pragmatics via naturalistic acquisition, teaching learners about the L2 pragmatic norms of the host country can accelerate learning (Alcón & Martínez-Flor, 2008). Research suggests that pragmatics instruction can effectively be carried out before, during, and after a study abroad experience (e.g., Cohen & Shively, 2007; Shively, 2010) and can incorporate awareness-raising, analysis, and communicative practice activities. A variety of pedagogical models, resources, and example activities are available to help the language teacher new to pragmatics and pragmatics instruction (e.g., Bardovi-Harlig & Mahan-Taylor, 2003; Ishihara & Cohen, 2010; Félix-Brasdefer, 2006; García, 2001; Lo Castro, 2003; Martínez-Flor & Usó-Juan, 2006). Integrating pragmatics into the L2 curriculum is one way to help students make the most of language and culture learning opportunities during study abroad.

References

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