| Body | by Ellie Collins, CASLS Graduate Intern
This activity was created to help learners develop and practice metapragmatic strategies including stating their intentions and asking for clarification. Additionally, learners will demonstrate their explicit pragmatic knowledge and explain language functions (e.g. greetings or apologies) to their peers. This activity can be conducted completely in the L2 for Intermediate High and Advanced learners. It may require L1 scaffolding for less proficient learners.
Learning outcomes:
Learners will be able to:
- State the intentions of their speech act functions.
- Ask for feedback about their delivery of pragmatic functions.
- Provide basic feedback to peers about their delivery of pragmatic functions.
Mode(s): Interpersonal
Materials: Metapragmatic communication video
Procedure:
- First, watch the metapragmatic communication video as a group.
- Next, place learners in groups of three to four people and ask them to brainstorm methods of communicating their conversation preferences or intentions in the target language related to a specific function already covered in class (e.g., apologizing, greeting, or making requests). Ideas may include asking how to perform a pragmatic function (i.e. what words to say), specifying one’s communicative preferences, and asking interlocutors to clarify their choices.
- As a group, ask learners to share strategies that they brainstormed in small groups. Make a list of phrases that can be used to ask for feedback from other speakers during a conversation. It may be helpful to divide these phrases into phrases for stating intentions, phrases for stating their own preferences, and phrases for asking for clarification of a fellow interlocutor’s choices.
- Ask learners to work in pairs.Each pair will practice the brainstormed metapragmatic phrases in the target language with functions they are familiar with (ideally the functions mentioned in Step 2). At this step, one learner will state their intention, practice the pragmatic function, and, if needed, ask for clarification. Their partner will provide feedback on their delivery of the function. For example, one learner can say “I would like to ask to borrow your car, but I am not sure how.” Depending on the language, their partner might respond, “That is a big request, so you should explain why you need it. Try ‘Can I ask you a favor? I need to travel for an appointment…’”
- As pairs are working, provide feedback and information as necessary. Encourage learners to ask peers and instructor(s) for clarification.
- After this activity, ask learners to reflect on their experience using these guiding questions:
- Were you comfortable stating your intentions before speaking? Why or why not?
- Would you use these strategies when speaking to others in the target language?
- Finally, discuss with learners about reacting to feedback and how these language norms might change between individuals. As a group discuss the following questions:
- Do you think every speaker performs language functions the same way?
- Do you think you should apply all feedback you receive from interlocutors to your own language choices? Why or why not?
- How might individual conversation preferences differ?
- What is one way you can explain your conversation preferences to other speakers?
Notes:
- Novice to intermediate-mid learners need extra support, they can use both their L1 and the target language to practice explaining their intentions and asking for clarification.
- If your learners need more understanding of the language function targeted in Step 2, provide some target language examples and work together to identify sociocultural norms in the target language (e.g. issuing an invitation at least three times in Spanish or explaining requests when they are big asks in a variety of languages).
- If you have need addition resources related to the functions in the target language selected for Step 2, you may wish to access one of the following websites:
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