Sociopragmatic Competence Acquisition for Overcoming Pragmatic Failure: The Case of EFL Learners at Tlemcen University

Abstract

This research examines the importance of integrating pragmatic knowledge for EFL learners at Tlemcen University, who struggle to develop practical English competence afar from native speaking environments. It explores various forms of pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic failures, highlighting factors affecting teaching and learning processes in sociopragmatic competence. A major focus is on the acquisition and application of politeness formulas in different speech acts, alongside the assessment of conversational implicatures and their effectiveness in language learning. The study employs a quasi-experimental design and mixed-methods approach for data collection and analysis to figure out teachers’ attitudes towards the implementation of this force as well as to reveal the effective practices, tasks and materials that help improving one’s pragmatic knowledge. The study resulted in revealing teachers’ positive attitudes towards pragmatic competence integrating in EFL classes. As such, it figured out that learners face issues with sociopragmatic competence the most. Finally, the study came up with the notion that the immersion of EFL learners in natural native speech is the best way to enhance this competence