MITIGATED DISAGREEMENT IN LEARNER DISCUSSION FORA: A FACILITATOR’S PERSPECTIVE

The aim of this paper is to focus on one aspect of English learners’ pragmatic competence which can be effi ciently developed through threaded discussions, i.e. on the dispreferred speech act of disagreement. The author shares her experience of using online discussion fora in Practical English classes designed for third-year students. She comments on the linguistic resources used by the students to express mitigated disagreement and, further, she discusses the role of the instructor in facilitating interactional coherence. The author reaches the conclusion that asynchronous discussion fora can be useful in developing English learners’ pragmatic strategies, provided that online collaboration is carefully and wisely planned, and encouraged by a dedicated and enthusiastic instructor