Development of pragmatic awareness during study abroad

Abstract

Pragmatic markers (PMs) have been defined as linguistic constructions typical of spoken language which help interaction (

). Previous study abroad (SA) research () shows that contact with the local community can enhance PM production. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to how SA students recognize PMs and how aware they are of PM use. This aspect of pragmatic development is crucial given that awareness is a necessary step for any pragmatic production to occur (). Against this background, this study analyzes longitudinally changes in PM awareness by eighteen Chinese students enrolled in English-speaking universities. The participants completed a pre- and a post-test version of the PM awareness test (), developed for the purpose of the study. The results revealed that, while abroad, participants increased their metapragmatic awareness of PMs, which contributed to their L2 pragmatic awareness development.