Abstract
Introduction
In the past two decades, there has been rapid development in the knowledge of L2 pragmatic competence (PC) – a growing understanding by researchers and instructors that proficient language production includes mastery of its purposeful use within a social context.
Pragmatics can be defined briefly as ‘the context-dependant assignment of meaning of language expressions used in acts of speaking and writing’ (Allan, 2001: 4). In the past, including 23 studies in 2010, PC development has only been examined empirically. Taguchi has provided break-through research in the field of longitudinal studies of PC. In a two-part study done over a year, the author successfully incorporated qualitative methodology into her work. Taguchi’s writing style is clear and meticulous, providing explanation for each step of the study, enabling aspiring researchers to follow her methodology and her reasons for each action. That also makes the book dense with information – it is difficult to do it justice in a review. For that reason, I have organized the review into four sections: Introduction, Methodology, Findings and Implications.
Methodology
The author began her book by revisiting with readers the basic concepts of PC and emphasized the need for longitudinal study when following learner growth. She asserted that this development requires pragmalinguistic and sociolinguistic knowledge bases and effective co-management in spontaneous discourse, as well as awareness of underlying social norms.
Taguchi worked with 48 students learning English in a bilingual university setting in Japan to trace two aspects of PC – pragmatic comprehension and production. Simultaneously, a subset group of 12 learners acted as informants to provide insight into patterns of pragmatic change, types of sociocultural experiences available in context, and individual differences in these discourse situations. In L2 instruction, affective learner feedback is critical in expanding understanding of meaning-making, in response to a dynamic discourse experience.
Her research questions were: ‘General patterns of pragmatic development: What patterns and rate of development can we observe across different pragmatic functions and attributes?’ and ‘Individual differences in pragmatic development: What types of learning resources and development are available in context and how do these factors shape developmental trajectories of individual learners?’(see page 77).
The study was framed in an original style combining psycholinguistic and pragmatic approaches of data-gathering. For her two pragmatic measures, Taguchi used reliable tests with the 28 students: one assessing learner listening skills and another measuring student ability to produce appropriate speech acts, measured three times over the year. More significantly, the author sought to explain (emphasis mine) relevant changes through repeated interviews with a subset of 12 students. These were supplemented with observation field notes and rich data from student journaling of experiences, thoughts and feelings after conversations with native English speakers.
Findings
Taguchi wrote a thorough presentation and explanation of her results. First, in analyzing the evidence on the listening and speaking tests, she found clear patterns of language development and processing. Second, appropriateness scores were delayed by situational and linguistic demands in high-imposition discourse acts. Third, a materialization of target-norms was negligible for paralinguistic forms, but a development trend was found in student semantic strategies used to create these speech acts. The pattern reflects individual characteristics, resources, and environment. Further, these trends highlighted constant interactions, adaptation and changes among the elements. In short, Taguchi’s analyses of both knowledge and processing capacity bring together complementary information; together they enhance our understanding of PC and its development. Fourth, and most important in this writer’s opinion, her study explains (emphasis Taguchi’s) rather than just describes pragmatic development in scrutinizing its factors.
Implications
The author expanded knowledge banks in several ways. She disclosed patterns of pragmatic development that have not been previously examined in a longitudinal study. The study was planned to extend beyond usual test measures of correctness and appropriateness by analyzing learner processing speed in performing pragmatic speech tasks. Her use of technology dramatically increased her ability to capture fluency. Further, Taguchi created an original framework that combines both psycholinguistic and pragmatic approaches that produced distinctive data for examination. The unique combination of three simultaneous lines of investigation provided a robust contribution to the understanding of what features define PC and what influencing factors further L2 proficiency.
Taguchi’s work has the potential to change the way we view and engage in research in the area of PC. I would like to see the study replicated with a larger group of informants, as it is difficult to generalize the data gleaned from a group of 12 students. I am waiting with anticipation for further research using this methodology, and to have that research and subsequent findings published in research and professional journals for action research by instructors. The book, in my opinion offers new insights for all involved in second language acquisition and linguistics fields.