Structures and Functions of Language

Pragmatics refers to the study of a speaker’s use of language, the meaning of the spoken
words, as well as the context within which the words are used. It refers to the disparity in what a
speaker actually says and what actually gets communicated. When people converse, the words
they speak are sometimes different from what they intend to pass across or what they want the
other party to understand.
For example, the following sentences can be used by a speaker to pass a message across
that it is cold;

1. “I cannot find my jacket.”
2. “The temperatures today are very low.”
3. “I am feeling cold.”
4. “Is it fine with you if we sit somewhere warmer?”
5. “I am not used to such kind of weather; we were living in a very warm place where
   we rarely used jackets.”

In the above examples, the sentences are completely different. For a listener to understand the
literal meaning of each of the above utterances, it would be necessary to study pragmatics so that
he or she can be in a better position to understand what to look for to get the speaker’s intended
meaning.
In the classroom setting an English Language Learner (ELL) may encounter difficulties
understanding the context and the communication style used by the speaker. The challenge can e
overcome through raising awareness and making the learners be consciously aware of

pragmatics. I will assist ells by directly introducing the topic of pragmatics and help learners
identify how people in the real-world use language differently from how it is used in the
textbooks. It would be necessary to do so because even native speakers violate rules thus an
indication that it is not easy to learn pragmatics unless a conscious effort is put in ensuring that it
is taught. I would make students take turns in conversations and ensure that they apply
pragmatics to acquire and develop conversational skills. I would make it a habitual exercise in
the classroom for students to engage in spontaneous conversations with one another, ask
questions, and turn-taking. Such exercises will help ells become more comfortable when talking
and understand what is being said in its specific context. Also, they will understand the
communication style being used thus be able to deduce the intended meanings of utterances.
Overall, this strategy would support ells by helping them acquire the necessary skills to use and
understand words thus helping them engage in meaningful conversations in an effective manner.
Link: https://busyteacher.org/9191-how-to-teach-pragmatics-esl-conversation-classroom.html

References

Honigsfeld, A & Cohan, A. (2015). Serving English language learners [Electronic version].
Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/