Integrating Pragmatics into the MA-TESL Program: Perspectives from Former Students.

Abstract

This article describes a semester-long course focusing on pragmatics and language teaching, which is a curricular requirement in a Master’s TESL program at one U.S. university. An exploratory study was conducted with a sample of students who had taken the course in the past 5 years, to determine whether they had been able to incorporate what they learned in the pragmatics course into their subsequent ESL/EFL (and, in some cases, other language) teaching. Participants ’ responses to open-ended items on an email questionnaire were analyzed for emergent themes. The article reports on the primary topic areas and techniques participants use to teach pragmatics to their ESL/EFL learners, the major obstacles facing teachers in bringing pragmatics into their language classrooms—as well as a few unexpected learning outcomes that students associated with this course. We conclude with a set of suggestions for other TESL educators who may also be interested in teaching students about pragmatics.

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