Pragmatic competence

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In applied linguistics and second language acquisition (SLA), the study of pragmatic competence raises key questions: What does it mean to achieve pragmatic competence in a second language (L2)? How can we assess its development among L2 learners? How do research findings inform the teaching and assessment of pragmatic competence? This book addresses these issues within the context of Japanese as a second/foreign language. It is divided into three sections. The first provides an overview and historical background on Japanese pragmatics and its impact on pedagogy and curriculum. Following this, eight empirical studies examine significant phenomena in Japanese pragmatics, focusing on features such as honorifics, speech styles, sentence-final particles, various speech acts, and indirect expressions. Each study connects pragmalinguistics (linguistic forms for language functions) with sociopragmatics (norms for appropriate use). By documenting learners' understanding and use of these features across different levels and timeframes, the book sheds light on the nature and development of pragmatic competence and its implications for teaching. The final section offers a critical reflection on the empirical studies and discusses the practice of Japanese pragmatics research.