Investigating the effects of pragmatic instruction: a comparison of L2 Spanish compliments and apologies during short term study-abroad

Autores

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15448/1984-4301.2019.4.33989

Palavras-chave:

O intercâmbio estudantil, atos de fala, pragmática interlinguagem, instrução da pragmática.

Resumo

Study abroad has been proposed as a crucial aspect to acquire pragmatics in a second language, under the assumption that learners receive more access to authentic input than is available in the classroom. Recent trends indicate a rise in the frequency of short-term study abroad programs (less than 3 months, Allen, 2010), although research has shown that learners may need closer to 9 months to approximate native-like norms without instruction (FÉLIX-BRASDEFER, 2004). This raises the question of how much pragmatic development can be seen in short-term programs, and how to maximize this development. The current study analyzed the development of two expressive speech acts, compliments and apologies, in students who completed a five-week study abroad program in Mérida, Mexico. During the program, learners received instruction on compliments, but not apologies. Speech act data was collected via a 24-item oral discourse completion task administered at both the beginning and end of the program and was further analyzed in SPSS. Results indicate that only some learners developed their production of apologies, while almost all learners showed development in their production of compliments, operationalized by an increased repertoire of strategies available. These results suggest the need for pragmatic instruction during short-term study abroad, and question the utility of native-speaker norms to measure pragmatic development during short-term programs.

***Uma pesquisa sobre os efeitos da instrução pragmática: uma comparação de elogios e desculpas em espanhol como segunda língua durante um programa de intercâmbio de curta duração***

O intercâmbio estudantil foi proposto como um aspecto crucial para adquirir competência pragmática em um segundo idioma, sob a suposição de que os alunos recebem mais acesso à linguagem autêntica do que é oferecido em sala de aula. As tendências recentes indicam um aumento na frequência de programas de intercâmbio de curto prazo no exterior (menos de três meses, Allen, 2010), contudo outras pesquisas têm mostrado que os alunos podem precisar de mais de nove meses para aproximar-se das normas nativas sem instrução (FÉLIX-BRASDEFER, 2004). Isso levanta a questão de quanto o desenvolvimento pragmático pode ser visto em programas de intercâmbio de curto prazo, e como maximizar esse desenvolvimento. O presente estudo analisou o desenvolvimento de dois atos de fala expressivos, elogios e desculpas, em estudantes que completaram um programa de intercâmbio de cinco semanas em Mérida, México. Durante o programa, os alunos receberam instrução sobre expressões de elogios, mas não sobre pedidos de desculpas. Os dados do ato de fala foram coletados por meio de uma tarefa de conclusão do discurso oral de 24 itens, administrada no início e no final do programa e analisados no SPSS. Os resultados indicam que apenas alguns dos estudantes desenvolveram seus atos de pedir desculpas, enquanto quase todos os alunos mostraram desenvolvimento em sua produção de elogios, operacionalizado como um repertório crescente de estratégias disponíveis. Esses resultados sugerem a necessidade da instrução pragmática durante os programas de intercâmbio estudantil de curto prazo e questionam a utilidade das normas dos falantes nativos para medir o desenvolvimento pragmático durante programas de curto prazo.

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Biografia do Autor

Megan DiBartolomeo, Indiana University

Megan DiBartolomeo is a PhD Candidate in Hispanic Linguistics at Indiana University. She earned her master’s degree in Hispanic Linguistics from Indiana University. Her research focuses on second language pragmatics, pedagogy, and individual differences in second language acquisition.

Vanessa Elias, Indiana University, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, Bloomington, IN

Vanessa Elias is a PhD Candidate in Hispanic Linguistics at Indiana University. She earned her master’s degree in Spanish Linguistics from Arizona State University. Her research focuses on Spanish heritage language, sociolinguistic variation, and
pragmatics.

Daniel Jung, Indiana University, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, Bloomington, IN

Daniel Jung is a PhD Candidate in Hispanic Linguistics at Indiana University. He earned his master’s degree in Hispanic Linguistics from Indiana University. His research focuses on individual differences in second language acquisition, particularly in the acquisition of morphosyntax and pragmatics.

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Publicado

2019-12-27

Como Citar

DiBartolomeo, M., Elias, V., & Jung, D. (2019). Investigating the effects of pragmatic instruction: a comparison of L2 Spanish compliments and apologies during short term study-abroad. Letrônica, 12(4), e33989. https://doi.org/10.15448/1984-4301.2019.4.33989

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v. 12 n. 4 (2019): Pragmática da interlíngua e Pragmática Instrucional

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