Here are the slides from my presentation at the JALT 2013 national conference, in Kobe, Japan on October 27th. Here's the abstract: If pragmatic competence is indeed a crucial part of successful communication (Murray, 2009), it follows that language learners need both instruction of pragmatic routines and awareness raising in order to achieve proficiency in a second language (Charlesbois, 2004). The field itself is quite broad, however, encompassing areas such as speech acts, discourse organization, sociolinguistics, and conversational structure, implicature, and management- all areas not traditionally addressed in language teaching curricula (Bardovi-Harlig & Mehan-Taylor, 2003). For English teachers in Japan largely unfamiliar with pragmatics yet interested in learning more, guidance is needed in exploring its many benefits for improving oral communication skills. This workshop will therefore aim to make pragmatics more accessible and practical by defining the field in lay terms, making a case for its inclusion within an oral communication curriculum for low-intermediate and above learners, and providing specific ideas on which aspects to focus upon and how to teach them. Participants will have an opportunity to experience and reflect on various activities that introduce, practice, and assess progress in building pragmatic competency. Space will also be included for participants to discuss their teaching contexts and exchange ideas on how to effectively introduce pragmatics to their students. References: Bardovi-Harlig, K. & Mehan-Taylor, R. (2009). Teaching pragmatics. English Teaching Forum 2003(41:3). Charlebois, J. (2004). Pragmatics: The heart and soul of linguistic proficiency. The Language Teacher, 28(4). Murray, N. (2009). Rethinking pragmatics pragmatics for the classroom: A deductive approach. PAC7 at JALT2008 Conference Proceedings.

1. Pragmatics in the EFL Classroom
An introduction
Jerry Talandis Jr. University of Toyama

2. Today
1 What is pragmatics?
2 Introducing pragmatics to students
3 Principles worth teaching
4 Ideas for review & assessment
5 Resources

3. Theory
Practice

4. Part 1
What is pragmatics?
語用論
ごようろん

6. The study of social language use

7. “The secret rules of language”

8. “I like to say that pragmatics is
the study of how-to-say-what-to-
whom-when, and that L2
pragmatics is the study of how
learners come to know how-to-
say-what-to-whom-when.”
Bardovi-Harlig, 2009

11. Bardovi-Harlig, K. & Mehan-Taylor, R. (2009). Teaching pragmatics. English Teaching Forum 2003(41:3).
Pragmatics
speech acts
discourse organization
sociolinguistics
conversational structure
implicature
management

13. Pragmatics deals with...
1 Using language for different purposes
2
Changing language according to
the needs of the situation
3 Following rules for conversations
2012 (Nov. 17). American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Social Language
Use. http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/pragmatics.htm

14. 1 Using language
Greetings
(hello, good-bye)

15. 1 Using language
Informing
(I’m going to get a cookie now)

16. 1 Using language
Requesting
(I would like a cookie please)

17. 1 Using language
Demanding
(Give me a cookie!)

18. 1 Using language
Promising
(I will give you a cookie soon)

19. 2: Changing
language
It’s normal to talk
differently to
different people!
•Children & adults
•Sempai & kohai
•Friends & strangers
•Family & co-workers

20. 3: Following Rules
Turn taking
Introducing topics

21. 3: Following Rules
Dealing with breakdowns
Using verbal & non-verbal signals
Use of body language

22. Why Bother?
Pragmatic rules vary across
and within cultures

23. Why Bother?
Pragmatic awareness helps
students improve communication
and avoid problems

24. Introducing pragmatics
to students
Part 2

25. Showing
VS
Telling

26. WHY IS DIALOG 2 BETTER?
・longer answers
・more natural
・more details
・no silence
・friendlier

27. What is pragmatics?
語用論
ごようろん
How to be friendly in
another language

28. What is a
conversation?

29. The 4 parts
of a conversation

30. 4 Parts of a good conversation
Part Purpose
1
Opening
Closing
Frames the interaction;
Start & end smoothly
2 Questions Open & Closed
3 Answers Various lengths
4 Pragmatics
Provides energy, facilitates
exchange of meaning

31. Go over the
4 parts

32. Part 3
Which principles are worth teaching?

34. Which way is better?

35. Conversation strategies“Golden rules”

36. The
Golden
Rules
Richmond, S. & Vannieu, B. (2009).
Conversations in Class. Kyoto: Alma Publishing.

37. Discussion
What’s happening?

38. Different interpretations
of silence
Japan Western cultures
“I can’t answer you.” “I’m bored & don’t care.”
“Please ask someone
else.”
“I don’t like you.”
“I’m thinking.”
“I don’t respect your
authority.”

39. Golden Rule 1
Don’t remain silent for more
than a few seconds
(Say something quickly)

40. What would you say is your
favorite class at the moment?
Teacher:
I’m sorry, I don’t understand.Student:
Okay. What’s your favorite class now?Teacher:
Oh! It’s English, for sure!Student:
You don’t understand
anything the speaker says1

41. You need the speaker
to repeat what was said
So, Taro, wachagonnadothisweekend?Teacher:
Pardon?Student:
What are you going to do this weekend?Teacher:
Oh, I’m going out with some friends.Student:
2

42. You can’t Understand a
difficult word or phrase
How many electives are you taking
now?
Teacher:
Um… What does “electives” mean?Student:
It’s a course that you choose.Teacher:
I see. I’m taking three electives now.Student:
3

43. You don’t know how
to answer a question
What does your father do?Teacher:
Ah… How do you say “bengoshi” in English?Student:
Oh, it’s “lawyer.”Teacher:
Yes. He is a lawyer.Student:
4

44. Discussion
What’s happening?

45. In front of a group
When meeting someone new
When speaking to a sempai

46. Being modest
Allowing other person to lead
You are showing respect

47. Two Ways of
finding Common ground
Which way is better?

48. Golden
Rule 2
Add one or two extra
pieces of information
to your answers
(+alpha answers)

49. Answer Implicit Questions
暗黙の質問
“Yes, I love it. Maguro is my favorite.”
(+alpha)

50. Discussion
What looks different about
this conversation?

51. Golden
Rule 3
It’s natural to
sometimes talk
about yourself

52. Listen first, talk second
Do you play any sports?A:
B: Yes, I play soccer after school.
GR 2
Do you play any sports?A:
B: Yes, I play soccer after school.GR 3
Oh yeah? I used to play in HS.A:
(reaction) (+alpha comment)
(+ alpha)

53. Strategies
Conversation

54. Which are best to teach?
So many choices...

56. Ideas for review & assessment
Part 4

57. Review & Assessment
are vital
•Writing, listening, and
noticing tasks
•Dialog writing test
•Speaking test

58. Practice with a Writing Activity

59. Use fewer Questions

60. Skip the Questions!

61. Noticing
task
Can you find the Golden Rules?

62. Yes, I play soccer everyday after school. GR2
Really? I love soccer, too! I use to play a lot
in junior high school, but not any more. GR3
How do you say 「アルバイト」in English? GR1
Noticing
task
Can you find the Golden Rules?

63. Pair
dictation✂️

64. Embed in
listening
exercises

65. Recording
Transcribing
Noticing

66. Compare
before・after
recordings

67. Pair
dialog
writing
test

68. Pair
speaking
test
Richmond, S. & Vannieu, B. (2009). Conversations in Class. Kyoto: Alma Publishing.

69. •1:1 time with teacher
is motivational
•Less pressure for
beginners
•Gently encourages
student initiative
Alternative
interview
Pros

70. •Can be tricky to mark
•Impractical with large
or unruly classes
Alternative
interview
Cons

71. •1:1 time with teacher
is motivational
•Encourages more
student initiative
Question
the teacher
Pros

72. •Takes too long to
evaluate everyone
•Hard sometimes to
let students lead
•Can be tricky to mark
Question
the teacher
Cons

73. •Encourages teamwork
•Less time to evaluate
everyone
•Easier to mark
•Enables more
sophistication
Prepared
dialog
Pros

74. •Performance rather
than real conversation
Prepared
dialog
Cons

75. •Encourages teamwork
•Less time to evaluate
everyone
•Enables more actual
conversation
3 Person
conversation
Pros

76. •Can be tricky to mark
3 Person
conversation
Cons

77. Marking
schemes

79. Part 5
Resources

80. Nice Talking
with you
Tom Kenny
Linda Woo
Cambridge

81. Nice Talking
with you
Tom Kenny
Linda Woo
Cambridge

82. By The Way
Michael Hensley
Bill Burns
Macmillan LanguageHouse

84. Jazz English
Gunther
Breaux
Compass Publishing

87. Conversations
in class
Stephen Richmond
Bruno Vannieu
Alma Publishing

90. Pragtivities
Jim Ronald, Carol Rinnert,
Kenneth Fordyce,
Tim Knight (Eds.)
JALT Pragmatics SIG

92. Summary
Pragmatics:
“The study of how to be friendly in English”

93. Summary
Addresses practical aspects of
successful communication

94. Summary
A veritable gold mine
of ideas and possibilities

95. Summary
A little goes a long way

96. Summary
No need for wholesale changes to
your teaching style

97. Summary
Continuous review & assessment
needed for long-term gains

98. Summary
Contact the JALT PragSIG for more info
pragsig.org