Developing pragmatic competence in the English language classroom through speaking

This paper deals with developing pragmatic competence in the English as a second language classroom, mainly through speaking activities. In Part One the theoretical background of pragmatics and its various aspects are discussed. Views of a number of authors on pragmatics are presented, witnessing the necessity of pragmatic upbringing at schools and other educational establishments in the world of globalization. Some examples are given why pragmatic awareness is inseparable from grammatical or vocabulary knowledge of a particular language. The importance of reflective teaching and its types is stressed. Next, the paper focuses on ways to stimulate learner pragmatic growth, critical thinking and self-awareness, the role of questions, also the role of the mother tongue in the pragmatically oriented classroom. In Part Two possible activities for raising pragmatic competence, as proposed by various linguists, are described. Some specific examples are given here. In this part of the paper the reader gets acquainted with ways of developing pragmatic competence that are effective and convenient to implement in the classroom. Finally, in Part Three the coursebooks Twist 1 and Twist 2 (Student’s Books and Teacher’s Books) are analyzed as means to be used by teachers having specific aims for learner pragmatic development. All the chapters (Issues) are overviewed (each separately and all of them as one whole), general tendencies and peculiarities are discerned, specific tasks are scrutinized. Then the two textbooks are compared from the point of view of their suitability for developing pragmatic competence and some general comments are made.Švietimo akademijaVytauto Didžiojo universiteta