A Web-Based Tutorial for the Instruction of Spanish Pragmatics
ACTFL Conference 2008 – Orlando, Florida
Victoria Russell – The University of South Florida
What is pragmatics?
Pragmatics is the study of how language is used in communication. Learners of a
foreign language already have pragmatic knowledge of their first language, and as
they study a foreign language and culture they begin to acquire pragmatic
knowledge of their second language. Learners’ pragmatic knowledge from their first
language, however, can either help them or hurt them, depending on how close or
how different the target language and culture are to their own.
Why should I teach pragmatics?
You should teach pragmatics in order to help your students become more native-like
in their language production, which will help them to build relationships with
members of the target language culture. Even if students are able to master
perfectly all of the grammar of the language they are studying, unless they acquire
pragmatic knowledge, their speech will always seem strange to native-speakers.
Learners of a second (L2) or foreign language often have a difficult time learning
how to communicate in socially and culturally appropriate ways, even after they have
achieved a high level of linguistic proficiency (knowledge of the rules and structures
of the language). Bardovi-Harlig and Harford (1990) assert that errors of
appropriacy, or pragmatic errors, are potentially more serious than linguistic errors
because L2 learners’ native-speaker interlocutors can usually identify and “forgive”
their grammatical errors; however, they are less likely to be able to identify their
pragmatic errors, which they often interpret as rudeness of the part of the L2
learner. This may lead to misunderstandings, communication breakdowns, and even
to difficulty in forming relationships with members of the target language culture.
What are speech acts and why are they important?
Speech acts are language users’ attempts to perform specific actions, in particular
interpersonal functions that are typically universal to all languages. These include:
apologies, requests, compliments, and complaints.
Each speech act is comprised of three separate acts:
1. The speaker conveys some type of meaning to the hearer
2. The speaker performs a language function
3. The speaker achieves some effect on the hearer
Speech acts can be direct (from the speaker’s perspective):
Example: Pass me the bread.
Or indirect (from the hearer’s perspective):
Example: Could you pass me the bread?
Whether a speaker uses a direct or an indirect speech act depends on a number of
factors that determine how ‘polite’ the speaker needs to be to the hearer:
1. The speaker’s relationship with the hearer
•
The social distance between the speaker and the hearer
Page 1 of 2 
Convention