Measuring Second Language Pragmatic Competence
A Psycholinguistic Perspective
Author: Rod Ellis, Carsten Roever, Natsuko Shintani and Yan Zhu Series: Second Language Acquisition
Constitutes the most rigorous work ever done on efforts to measure L2 pragmatics
Extending earlier work on grammar, this book investigates the development of tests measuring second language learners’ implicit and explicit pragmatic abilities in English. It reports detailed analyses of the use of the tests with two groups of learners and in studies investigating study abroad and the effects of instruction.
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Summary
Constitutes the most rigorous work ever done on efforts to measure L2 pragmatics
Extending earlier work on grammar, this book investigates the development of tests measuring second language learners’ implicit and explicit pragmatic abilities in English. It reports detailed analyses of the use of the tests with two groups of learners and in studies investigating study abroad and the effects of instruction.
Description
Taking a psycholinguistic perspective, this book investigates how second language (L2) learners' pragmatic abilities in English can be measured. It complements and extends earlier work on the testing of implicit and explicit grammar. The authors present a set of tests they developed using both well-established methods of measuring pragmatic knowledge (e.g. a Metapragmatic Knowledge Test and role plays) and more original tests (e.g. an Irony Test and an Elicited Imitation Test). They explain the development of the tests and report the results of their work with native speakers of English and Chinese and Japanese L2 learners. A confirmatory factor analysis lends support to the theoretical basis of the tests. The authors also report studies that explored the use of the tests to investigate L2 linguistic proficiency, study abroad and formal instruction. In concluding, they consider the strengths and limitations of the tests and propose some directions for future research.
Critic Reviews
Theoretically robust and eminently practical, this book describes the process of developing and validating an assessment battery covering three areas of pragmatics – speech acts, implicature and discourse. Adopting the theory of explicit and implicit knowledge, the book uniquely situates pragmatics assessment at the intersection of SLA and psycholinguistics. This is an invaluable resource for researchers and teachers seeking innovative yet thorough ways of assessing pragmatic competence.
Naoko Taguchi, Northern Arizona University, USAIn another tour de force, Rod Ellis and his stellar group of colleagues have pushed the boundaries of existing instructed second language acquisition knowledge, this time regarding the measurement of implicit and explicit second language (L2) pragmatic processing, with implications for the development of L2 pragmatic abilities in instructed contexts. Like Ellis and colleagues’ previous work, this volume provides a rich research agenda that will keep pragmatics researchers busy for years to come. Shawn Loewen, Michigan State University, USA
...the book presents an innovative test battery for measuring L2 pragmatic competence, which incorporates the
implicit/explicit distinction of pragmatics processing, a psycholinguistic perspective often overlooked in pragmatic assessment. The novel test designs and scoring systems are applicable to L2 pragmatics research and teaching in general. Language teachers can find inspiration in the test design and scoring methods and apply them to diagnostic and instructional purposes for various aspects of L2 pragmatic competence. L2 pragmatic researchers can select and improve specific tests from the battery for their own research purposes. More importantly, the comprehensive discussion of knowledge versus processing in pragmatics assessment as well as the centrality of processing efficiency in pragmatics test design will inspire researchers to explore different options for measuring pragmatic competence.
About the Author
Rod Ellis is an applied linguist who has published widely on second language acquisition and task-based language learning. He is currently a Distinguished Research Professor in the School of Education, Curtin University, Australia and an elected fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. He is a past recipient of the Kenneth W. Mildenberger and Duke of Edinburgh prizes.
Carsten Roever is Professor in Applied Linguistics at the University of Melbourne, Australia. His research interests include language testing, second language acquisition and pragmatics with a particular focus on learning and assessment of interactional competence in a second language.
Natsuko Shintani is Professor in the Faculty of Foreign Language Studies, Kansai University, Japan. Her research interests encompass the roles of explicit instruction in language learning, second language writing and task-based language teaching.
Yan Zhu is Associate Professor at the College of Foreign Languages and Literature, Fudan University, China. Her research focuses on curriculum innovation, task-based language teaching and teacher education.
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