Focus on

PRAGMATICS IN ELT:
USING LANGUAGE
IN CONTEXT
1. What is it?
Defining pragmatics
When we use language in the real world, it is always in a particular communicative
context. This context is defined by a range of factors, including:
• what we are doing, what our goal is, and where we are – such as ordering coffee in
a café or giving a presentation at work
• our relationship with the people we are communicating with – for example, how
well we know them and our respective ages, roles, rights, and obligations
• the information we share with those people, including whether we have similar
background knowledge of a topic or situation and whether we are communicating
in the here and now or in different physical places or at different points in time.
The nature of the context will usually determine the kind of language that is
appropriate for us to use – for example, how polite or formal our language should be,
how directly we should address someone, and how much detail we need to include in
order to make our message clear. The context will also affect the way we interpret the
language we encounter and the assumptions we make about the intentions of other
speakers and writers. The study of how we use and understand language in specific
contexts is known as pragmatics.

Pragmatic competence
The literal meaning of what we say or write is not always the same as its pragmatic
(or implied) meaning. For example, the statement ‘It’s cold in here’ is, on the surface,
simply a statement of fact. However, it may be intended as a request for someone
to close the window. Therefore, to become competent and effective language users,
students need to learn more than language forms and their literal meanings: they also
need to be aware of these implied or ‘invisible’ meanings. In other words, they need
pragmatic competence – the ability to use language appropriately and understand the
intentions of other speakers or writers. This means becoming familiar with pragmatic
norms – typical or accepted ways of using language in particular contexts. Some norms
may be similar to those in students’ own cultures and translate quite directly from their
first language (L1) into English; others may be different. Pragmatic competence thus
involves both linguistic and cultural knowledge.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexandra Paramour has taught English in Spain and the UK and currently works
as a materials writer, ELT editor, and teacher of English for academic purposes.

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PRAGMATICS IN ELT: USING LANGUAGE IN CONTEXT
Pragmatics vs. functional language
Pragmatics is sometimes equated with functional language.
However, while it can involve learning functional expressions,
pragmatics is a much broader concept. Firstly, context is key.
Pragmatics is not just about learning that particular expressions
correspond to particular speech acts (such as requests,
promises, or apologies); it is also about understanding when it
is appropriate to use them. So, for instance, students learn not
only that ‘Oops, sorry!’ is an apology but also that it is generally
used to apologize for minor mistakes in informal situations.
Secondly, pragmatics is not just about fixed expressions but
about all kinds of language features, including individual
words, grammatical structures, intonation, choice of topic, text
organization, and patterns of interaction (such as turn-taking in a
conversation).
2. Why is pragmatic competence important?
It has real-life consequences
The impression we make when we communicate can be very
important. Take, for example, a job candidate who emails a
potential employer to request information about a vacancy. If
the candidate does not express their request with the expected
degree of politeness, this may damage their relationship with
the recipient and their chances of being recruited. Pragmatic
failure occurs when we fail to communicate a message
appropriately or to understand the implications of something
we hear or read. While people will often make some allowances
for second language (L2) users, this is not always guaranteed,
especially once learners reach a higher level of proficiency, and
pragmatic failure can have real consequences for students when
they use English outside the classroom.
It is fundamental to speaking, writing, reading, and
listening
When we produce language through speaking or writing, we
need to adjust our language appropriately to the situation and
the people we are addressing. For example, we would usually
use different language in an email to a university tutor and a
text message to a friend. Pragmatic knowledge is equally crucial
in reading and listening. As well as understanding the literal
meaning of a message, we need to interpret the speaker or
writer’s intentions, taking into account the context. For instance,
if a fellow train passenger points to the bag on the seat next to
us and asks ‘Is this your bag?’, we need to understand that the
implicit message is probably ‘Please move your bag so that I can
sit down’.
It is a key aspect of vocabulary, grammar, discourse, and
phonology
When learning vocabulary, students need to know more
than the form and literal meaning of a word or phrase; they
also need to know whether its use is restricted to certain
situations or speakers. Slang, for instance, could come across as
inappropriate, comical, or even offensive when used outside a
particular setting or social group.
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Pragmatics is also an important component of grammatical
knowledge, and there are often subtle but important reasons
why we choose one structure over another in certain contexts.
For example, someone writing an online restaurant review might
express a complaint using the passive to avoid directly accusing
a specific staff member (‘We were treated very rudely.’).
Exploring these reasons with students can help them see that
use of the passive is often a pragmatic choice with potential
real-world consequences.
Similarly, pragmatics can enable students to understand why
specific types of texts typically follow certain conventions. For
example, students might read a formal email to a prospective
employer, notice how a request is expressed indirectly (‘I would
be very grateful if you might …’), and observe how the language
reflects the distance between the writer and the recipient.
Finally, pragmatics is an important aspect of phonology, since
features such as intonation, stress, and pitch can dramatically
affect the meaning of a spoken message. Even a single word like
‘fine’ can be understood in very different ways depending on
how we say it.
It builds cultural knowledge
Pragmatics helps learners to understand different countries and
cultures. For example, students may want to travel to, study,
or settle in a particular country, or communicate with people
from other countries. Pragmatics can also help to familiarize
students with the norms of social, professional, and academic
communities they aspire to join.
It develops global skills
Pragmatic competence involves understanding the feelings,
goals, and communication styles of people from different
social and cultural backgrounds. Therefore, raising students’
awareness of pragmatics can help to foster key global skills such
as empathy, intercultural competence, and communication and
collaboration skills. For instance, it can encourage students to
reflect on their own and other cultures and appreciate that there
is no single ‘correct’ way of communicating. It can also help
them understand how to be diplomatic when giving instructions,
offering feedback, or performing other sensitive speech acts.
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PRAGMATICS IN ELT: USING LANGUAGE IN CONTEXT
3. What are the challenges?
Identifying pragmatic norms to teach
Deciding which pragmatic norms to teach can be complex.
Learners may not know precisely where, with whom, and in
what situations they will use English in the future, and many
will use English as a lingua franca to communicate with people
from different cultural backgrounds. Even within a country or
culture, pragmatic norms vary widely between social groups and
individuals, and it is important to avoid overgeneralizations and
stereotypes.
Your students’ needs will often help you to decide whether to
focus closely on the pragmatic norms of specific settings or
whether to take a broader perspective. In many cases, it may be
more useful to raise students’ general awareness of pragmatics,
training them to observe the norms that operate in different
situations so that they can adapt quickly to new contexts.
Students also need to be reminded that pragmatic norms are
tendencies, not rigid rules, and that appropriate language use
depends on multiple factors – not just the broad cultural context
but also the specific situation and individuals involved.
Respecting students’ own pragmatic choices
Knowing about the norms of a speech community is not
the same as wanting to follow them oneself or feeling it is
appropriate to do so. Students may prefer not to adopt certain
conventions due to their beliefs, values, social identities,
and personalities, among other factors. Teaching pragmatics
requires a critical and culturally sensitive approach which
respects learners’ identities and agency. The goal is not to tell
them how they should communicate or behave; instead, it is to
invite observation and reflection so that they are better able to
understand the possible consequences of their own language
choices and interpret the intentions of others. So, for example,
rather than telling students to be polite, teaching pragmatics is
about making them aware of what is likely to be perceived as
polite in a particular context.
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Teaching pragmatics at lower levels
Learners need a relatively high level of proficiency to be able to
communicate in pragmatically appropriate ways and interpret
the implicit meaning of a message. Not all aspects of pragmatics
will therefore be suitable for learners below intermediate level.
Nevertheless, even beginners can start building their pragmatic
awareness. For example, when learning simple expressions such
as greetings and invitations, they can reflect on the situations
in which those expressions may and may not be appropriate. If
they share an L1, students can discuss how equivalent speech
acts are performed in their own language or other languages
they know.
Finding suitable language models
You may be unsure where to find suitable samples of language
to demonstrate pragmatics, especially if students have limited
opportunities to interact with users of English in their everyday
lives. One option is to use ELT course materials which have
been carefully designed with pragmatics in mind and which
encourage students to explore language in clear social contexts.
Another option is to use authentic materials like online articles,
discussion forums, podcasts, films, and TV programmes. They
can be a motivating way to highlight aspects of real language
use, as long as they are selected and used critically. Students
may also be able to interact with proficient users of English
online – for example, through virtual language exchanges. They
can observe how speakers communicate in particular situations
and even interview them about pragmatic norms.
Time constraints
Finding time to devote to pragmatics may be a challenge.
However, you are probably already teaching pragmatics in at
least some of your lessons. Many coursebooks include a focus
on pragmatics and you can often find opportunities to develop
this further by adding simple tasks to your teaching, such as
inviting students to discuss the pragmatic aspects of an activity
or language point in your lesson.
4. How can this be implemented?
Although learners will naturally develop some pragmatic
competence through their experience of using the L2, research
suggests that learners benefit from explicit teaching. This can
help students become more consciously aware of patterns of
language use. It can also help them understand what is not
appropriate or transferable from their L1.
Integrating pragmatics into other language work
You could add a pragmatics dimension to a grammar lesson by
focusing on why and in what situations a particular structure is
used as well as on its form and surface meaning. For example, if
students are studying the imperative, you could draw attention
to situations in which it would be considered too direct (such
as saying ‘Be quiet’ to a stranger) and situations in which it
would usually be acceptable (such as saying ‘Go straight on’
when giving directions). Similarly, you can discuss the pragmatic
aspects of vocabulary – such as the degree of formality or the
connotations of a word or phrase – and encourage students to
include this kind of information in their vocabulary notebooks.
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PRAGMATICS IN ELT: USING LANGUAGE IN CONTEXT

With students at intermediate level and above, listening and Teacher-led assessment
reading texts can provide rich opportunities to explore language Aligning assessments to suitable ready-made descriptors can
use in real contexts. For instance, you could encourage students ensure that students receive feedback on the appropriateness
to notice how speakers or writers use reporting language to of their language as well as on their accuracy and fluency. If your
distance themselves from certain ideas (‘Some people might students are working towards specific exams, you can adopt
claim that …’). their assessment criteria for speaking and writing, which typically
include aspects of pragmatics within the categories of ‘task
Working with student language
fulfilment’ or ‘communicative achievement’. If your students’
The language students produce themselves can be an excellent
goals are more general or varied, you could use the 2018
starting point for discussing pragmatics in contexts that are
Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) descriptors,
familiar and relevant to them. Just as you might note down
a key goal of which is to equip language learners to apply their
errors that students make when speaking or writing and
skills in real-life situations. At higher levels, pragmatics can also
use them for delayed correction, it can be useful to collect
be incorporated into reading and listening assessment through
examples of student language that could be expressed in a
questions which require students to identify the intentions, tone,
more appropriate way or, indeed, that is particularly effective.
and attitudes of writers and speakers.
You can then discuss these examples with the whole class. So,
for instance, if you hear a student say ‘I disagree’ rather abruptly Self-assessment and peer assessment
during a group task, you could elicit ideas from the class about Just as students can assess the accuracy and fluency of each
how to express disagreement more diplomatically. other’s language, they can also give feedback on pragmatic
competence. Pragmatics can be easily integrated into the kinds
Devoting lessons to pragmatics
of self-assessment and peer assessment activities that you may
You could make pragmatics the primary focus of a lesson. One
already use, such as:
way to approach this is to choose a suitable written or spoken
text and explore it through the following sequence of activities: • learner diaries
• reflective commentaries on work in a learner portfolio
■ Activation
Students discuss their personal experiences of similar • peer review, in which students assess each other’s writing or
situations and/or reflect on the potential consequences of speaking according to agreed criteria.
pragmatic failure in this context. Whatever approach to assessment you use, it is important to be
■ Presentation clear that pragmatic norms are subjective and variable and can
Students study the text, analysing the situation and the rarely be considered rigid rules.
relationship between the people involved. They then notice
the pragmatic norms that the text illustrates. You might 5. Over to you
approach this inductively, by asking students to study
There are multiple reasons to help students develop their
examples from the text and discover the norms themselves.
pragmatic competence. It is a key component of successful
Alternatively, you could take a deductive approach,
communication and of virtually every aspect of language
explaining the norms and then asking students to find
learning. Teaching pragmatics explicitly can help boost students’
examples in the text.
motivation and confidence by showing them how they can
■ Production use English effectively in the real world. It also supports them
Students put into practice what they have learned through in developing global skills such as empathy, intercultural
a range of speaking or writing activities, progressing from competence, and collaboration and communication, which will
controlled to freer activities. These might include: help them to thrive both as language learners and in their lives
• multiple-choice activities (for example, choosing the most beyond the classroom.
polite option to complete a text)
• discourse completion tasks (completing a dialogue with
suitable responses)
• correcting pragmatic errors (identifying and rewriting
requests that are too direct)
• role-plays based on particular scenarios, followed by
feedback from you and/or their classmates
• adapting a text for a new situation, addressee, and/or
purpose (if students have read a negative online hotel
review, they could then imagine that they are the reviewer
and are emailing the hotel manager to request a refund).

Assessing pragmatics in the classroom

Although it is possible to design specific tests of pragmatic
competence, the simplest way to assess pragmatics is often to
build it into the skills assessment that you already do.

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PRAGMATICS IN ELT: USING LANGUAGE IN CONTEXT

6. Further reading and resources Talking points

Two blog posts and a webinar on pragmatics Think of a lesson or coursebook unit that you plan to
Krulatz, A. (29 March 2019). Teaching the “secret” language of teach in the future. To what extent does it help students
social interaction [Blog post]. to use the skill or language feature in the real world?
oupeltglobalblog.com/2019/03/29/teaching-pragmatic-
https://

Is there anything you could do to give the lesson a

competence/ stronger pragmatic focus?
Krulatz, A. (3 October 2018). Learning and teaching pragmatics What kinds of authentic materials could you use to
[Blog post]. help students explore pragmatics? Think about online
oupeltglobalblog.com/2018/10/03/learning-and-teaching-
https://
materials, TV shows, films, radio programmes, podcasts,
pragmatics/ etc. What might you need to consider when using these
kinds of materials with your students?
Krulatz, A. (26 October 2018). Excuse me, teacher, I need your
help [Webinar]. Think about a group of learners that you have taught
or might teach in the future. Are there any pragmatic
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nw5vKIVX1s​
aspects of English that they might find difficult or prefer
Descriptions of speech acts not to adopt? Why? What would you do about this?
carla.umn.edu/speechacts/descriptions.html
https://

How do you, or could you, incorporate pragmatics into

Teaching pragmatics: lessons and activities the way that you assess your students?
americanenglish.state.gov/resources/teaching-pragmatics
https://

CEFR Companion Volume with New Descriptors (2018)

rm.coe.int/cefr-companion-volume-with-new-
https://

descriptors-2018/1680787989

www.oup.com/elt/expert ISBN: 978 0 19 400084 0

www.oup.com/elt/teacher/foi

To cite this paper:

Paramour, A. (2021). Focus on pragmatics in ELT: Using language in context [PDF].
Oxford: Oxford University Press. www.oup.com/elt/expert

Acknowledgements
The publisher would like to thank the following for permission to reproduce
photographs:
Alamy Stock Photos (Blend Images); Getty Images (Guerilla); Shutterstock
(Rawpixel.com, Tanor).

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