Unlocking Pragmatic Competence: Teaching Speech Acts and Implicature Through Literature in EFL Contexts

Abstract

Pragmatic competence is essential for EFL learners, yet literature classes often prioritize vocabulary, comprehension, and thematic interpretation over explicit instruction in speech acts and conversational implicature. This study addresses the need for a structured pedagogical model that integrates pragmatic theory into literary text analysis.Using a design-based research approach, this study developed and piloted the PILAR Framework—Pragmatic Investigation for Literary and Applied Reading—through Bessie Head’s short story “Looking for a Rain God.” The study combined pragmatic content analysis with a small-scale classroom pilot involving 20 sixth-semester English Education students. Speech acts were classified using Searle’s taxonomy, while conversational implicatures were analyzed through Grice’s cooperative maxims. Identified features were mapped onto five instructional stages: Awareness-Raising, Linguistic Analysis, Contextual Interpretation, Practical Application, and Reflective Transfer.The textual analysis identified 42 teaching-relevant pragmatic features, including directives, expressives, commissives, declarations, and conversational implicatures. Pilot findings indicated improvement in students’ pragmatic comprehension after the six-session implementation, particularly in recognizing speech acts, identifying illocutionary force, and inferring implied meanings. However, all learner groups showed difficulty interpreting culturally embedded implicatures.The findings suggest that the PILAR Framework offers a systematic and pedagogically usable approach for teaching pragmatics through literary texts in EFL contexts. Although the pilot provides promising preliminary evidence, further validation with larger samples, comparison groups, delayed post-tests, and refined assessment procedures is needed.