Browsing by Author "Suh, Emily"

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    Metapragmatic Requesting Instruction in an Adult Basic Education-ESL Classroom: A Pilot Study
    (Minnesota and Wisconsin Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, 2009) Suh, Emily
    Pragmatics, or the ability to communicate using language, is increasingly recognized as essential to language competence and production (Thomas, 1983; Bachman, 1990). Much research exists on pragmatic acquisition (Blum-Kulka, House, & Kasper, 1989; Cenoz, 2003; Kasper & Rose, 2001; Wildner-Basset, 1994). Researchers currently advocate metapragmatic instruction which combines explicit instruction, awareness-raising activities, and guided practice (Eslami-Rasekh, 2005; Kasper, 1997). Such instruction utilizes metalanguage and higher-level thinking with which students from non-academic backgrounds may struggle. Previous research on the effectiveness of metapragmatic instruction in request-making examined highly academic participants literate in their first language (L1) as well as the second language (L2). Additional research is needed to determine the effectiveness of metapragmatics for lower-level learners and those in non-university settings. This pilot study examines the effectiveness of metapragmatic instruction to teach request-making to an intermediate Adult Basic Education (ABE)-ESL class of Somalis and Mexicans. The study also examines students’ responses to the instruction.