Pragmatic aspects of communication are increasingly high on the agenda of applied linguists, in parallel with the recent advancements in the broader field of pragmatics research. As such, this volume brings together contributions addressing pragmatic aspects of L2 communication, taking into account the complementary perspectives of researchers, language practitioners and language learners. These studies were conducted with both qualitative and quantitative methods, and were set in various linguo-cultural contexts, spanning from Norway through Croatia and Italy to Canada and Colombia. The volume illustrates how pragmatic awareness and proficiency are crucial to communicative, interactional and, more generally, social competence. It also sheds light on how the results of pragmatic investigations can be fruitfully applied to language teaching and assessment in primary and tertiary education. Finally, it maintains an expanded perspective on pragmatic knowledge, as it examines both verbal and nonverbal components of communication, showing how they all contribute to the formulation and interpretation of meanings in context. The book will be of interest to language students, language teachers and scholars in applied pragmatics.

This book introduces the main concepts of pragmatics as they relate to the young English language learner classroom and research with young second language learners (YLLs). It considers the speech acts which are particularly relevant to YLLs and presents research findings on learners’ development of speech act perception and production. It provides pre- and in-service second language (L2) teachers, teacher educators and researchers with an understanding of young learners’ pragmatic development and with ideas for research-based approaches and specific classroom activities to help foster speech act development in the YLL classroom. Moving beyond the research methods traditionally employed in L2 pragmatics research, it also demonstrates how participant-centred data elicitation methods can be effective when conducting research with children. This book will appeal to researchers, advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students in applied linguistics and TESOL, as well as pre- and in-service primary school L2 teachers and teacher educators.

L2 Spanish Pragmatics is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art overview of current research into pragmatics and Spanish language teaching. It presents the research on the teaching of pragmatics and Spanish language as a multifaceted discipline. Written by an international cohort of scholars, the breadth of topics includes innovative topics in the teaching of Spanish, such as genre analysis, discourse markers, politeness and impoliteness, nonverbal communication, irony, and humor, as well as web-based pragmatics resources. Key features: An overview of new trends in Spanish pragmatics research and the growing need for instruction in intercultural communication; Insights derived from important theoretical and empirical works that may contribute to integrate pragmatics in the teaching of the language; Explanations with great clarity, plenty of examples and references, as well as connections to language teaching and learning; Tasks and activities that can help teachers move from a traditional curricular approach to a more innovative and engaging one; Descriptions of numerous activities or guidelines for the classroom, supplemented with additional materials; A bilingual glossary of terms in pragmatics that will help teachers in their implementation of activities to teach L2 Spanish pragmatics. L2 Spanish Pragmatics constitutes a reference book on current research on learning and teaching Spanish pragmatics. It will be of interest to university lecturers, researchers, and graduate students. It will also be an excellent resource for language educators and K-16 teachers willing to expand their knowledge and apply the teaching of pragmatics as an integral component in the teaching of the Spanish language.

Inclusivity is a crucial factor in assessment design as fair assessment must reflect the needs of a diverse student body. Assessment practices should also be culturally inclusive and supportive to all students while considering the needs of learners with disabilities and specific learning difficulties. Educational institutions worldwide are adopting a range of principles, using a variety of assessment methods, and developing assessment literacy. All these issues must be considered when researching inclusive assessment practices and policies. The Handbook of Research on Policies and Practices for Assessing Inclusive Teaching and Learning discusses the needs of learners of any context, background, and culture. This book strives to promote the importance of global inclusive assessment and teaching, giving an understanding to educators and faculty of the negative effect uniform assessment and teaching strategies have on a diverse body of students. Covering topics such as equitable design, ethnic preferential policies, and multilingual perspectives, this book provides an indispensable resource for researchers, practitioners, educators, teacher educators, policymakers, administrators, program planners, educational managers, educational leaders, professors, and academicians.

Oral assessments are of vital importance to second language learners, but how can teachers and examiners best test L2 learner talk and interaction? Bringing together theory and research within the field of L2 oral proficiency, with the concept of L2 encompassing any language learned later than the early childhood years, this book provides a state-of-the art overview of what is at stake for L2 learners and examiners, and advice on how to approach testing and assessment. Using data and findings from empirical research to illustrate and discuss key topics, Testing Talk takes the reader step-by-step through the major concepts and issues in the oral assessment of second languages, with a main focus on L2 English. Investigating and explaining the most important educational and interactional issues facing both examiners and test-takers, such as the factors which come into play during speaking tests, the differences between common test formats, and the challenge of ensuring equity in assessment, this book offers research-based advice on ways to design test tasks and in-depth insights into the assessment of L2 speaking. Featuring a glossary of key terms and concepts, discussion questions and further reading for each chapter, and a comprehensive companion website hosting a wealth of additional materials, including authentic test recordings and assessment tasks to be used by researchers and practitioners alike, this is the only book needed in order to understand, design, and assess interactive oral L2 tests.

Pragmatic aspects of communication are increasingly high on the agenda of applied linguists, in parallel with the recent advancements in the broader field of pragmatics research. As such, this volume brings together contributions addressing pragmatic aspects of L2 communication, taking into account the complementary perspectives of researchers, language practitioners and language learners. These studies were conducted with both qualitative and quantitative methods, and were set in various linguo-cultural contexts, spanning from Norway through Croatia and Italy to Canada and Colombia. The volume illustrates how pragmatic awareness and proficiency are crucial to communicative, interactional and, more generally, social competence. It also sheds light on how the results of pragmatic investigations can be fruitfully applied to language teaching and assessment in primary and tertiary education. Finally, it maintains an expanded perspective on pragmatic knowledge, as it examines both verbal and nonverbal components of communication, showing how they all contribute to the formulation and interpretation of meanings in context. The book will be of interest to language students, language teachers and scholars in applied pragmatics.

This book provides comprehensive investigation of the effect of motivation on L2 learners’ pragmatic learning, which has been discussed for a long time but remains under-explored. This study examines whether and to what extent learners’ levels of motivation influence their pragmatic awareness, comprehension and production in an EFL context. It presents an original study that not only enriches our knowledge of the feasibility of modern technology in collecting large-scale data related to pragmatic competence but also eminently connects L2 pragmatics more closely with mainstream second language acquisition research by focusing on the role of motivation in pragmatic learning. This book will be of great value to researchers and postgraduates interested in second language acquisition, especially those who work on L2 pragmatics and individual variation among learners.

The creation of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) has given rise to interest and debate among policy makers, testers, teachers and researchers alike in the reliability and feasibility of the assessment of second language (L2) proficiency. This volume brings together concrete ideas on identifying and measuring L2 proficiency from different branches of SLA research (psycholinguistic, sociolinguistic, corpus-based, applied linguistics) to contribute to a deeper understanding of what it means to be proficient in an L2. The chapters introduce a wide range of tools that are innovative, reliable, and easy-to-use for the evaluation of learners’ language level with respect to both productive and receptive skills and provide a variety of answers to the question of how to assess L2 proficiency in a valid, reliable and practical manner. The collection will therefore inspire language teachers, teacher trainers and language testing specialists and help them adapt their assessment practices when necessary, and will also be a valuable resource for postgraduate students and researchers.

This is the first edited volume dedicated to both teachers and learners of second/foreign language (L2) pragmatics. It comprises a collection of studies that explore how teachers background and practices, and individual learners differences contribute to the teaching and learning of L2 pragmatics. Also included are chapters that present pedagogical approaches that bring teachers and learners together in action in the classroom setting. Written by an international team of experts, the volume examines the most relevant topics on instructional pragmatics in a variety of language contexts, including Brazil, China, Germany, Japan, Spain, the United States, and Vietnam. This global perspective represents a key contribution in the current increasingly multilingual and multicultural society. Taken together, the findings presented have diverse research and pedagogical implications, and provide new directions to explore L2 pragmatic competence. This innovative book will be a valuable resource for researchers and graduate students, as well as for language teachers and course developers.

This is the first edited collection focusing exclusively on how second language users interpret and engage with the processes of email writing. With chapters written by an international array of scholars, the present volume is dedicated to furthering the study of the growing field of L2 email pragmatics and addresses a range of interesting topics that have so far received comparatively scant attention. Utilising both elicited and naturally-occurring data, the research in this volume takes the reader from a consideration of learners’ pragmatic development as reflected in email writing, and their perceptions of the email medium, to relational practices in various email functions and in a variety of academic contexts. As a whole, the contributions incorporate research with learners from a range of proficiency levels, language and cultural backgrounds, and employ varied research designs in order to examine different email speech acts. The book provides valuable new insights into the dynamic and complex interplay between cultural, interlanguage, pedagogical, and medium-specific factors shaping L2 email discourse, and it is undoubtedly an important reference and resource for researchers, graduate students and experienced language teachers.