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CASLS director Julie Sykes and Sébastien Dubreil have contributed a chapter to the new Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Pragmatics, edited by Naoko Taguchi. Here is the introduction to their chapter, "Pragmatics Learning in Digital Games and Virtual Environments": 

As human beings engage in interaction, they work together to co-construct meaning in relevant, complex, and dynamic ways. While general patterns of communication can be isolated for research and instructional purposes, the reality is that variability is at the heart of communication, making the teaching and learning of pragmatics (i.e., the expression and interpretation of one’s intended meaning in a social context) a challenging endeavor. The inherently variable nature of pragmatic behaviors makes digital games and virtual environments a particularly suitable environment for teaching and learning second language (L2) pragmatics. Digital games and virtual environments offer L2 learners a space in which they can engage in contextualized participatory practice designed to meet their individual needs while simultaneously offering just-in-time feedback. Furthermore, learners can simulate a range of participant roles in diverse social situations while engaging in goal-oriented tasks. Learners can also practice a variety of pragmatic strategies in interaction, adapting their strategies to situations and modifying strategies for a different game outcome. This chapter explores the ways in which digital games and virtual environments are especially suited to the teaching and learning of L2 pragmatics. We begin by synthesizing notable characteristics of game-based learning, illustrating how these characteristics are compatible with the teaching and learning of L2 pragmatics. This theoretical discussion is followed by a synthesis of the current literature and suggestions for future research.

Sykes says, ""It was wonderful working on this piece with Sebastien and Naoko. Their thinking always makes the final product better! The volume looks to be very relevant critical to the field and I look forward to reading the other contributions on SLA and pragmatics." The handbook is available at https://www.crcpress.com/The-Routledge-Handbook-of-Second-Language-Acquisition-and-Pragmatics/Taguchi/p/book/9780815349761