ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to employ a new tool for assessing pragmatic proficiency (over performance) in L2 students and to determine if pragmatic lessons on compliment sequences had a positive impact on L2 Spanish students’ intercultural competence. To this end, students at a Midwestern college engaged in live video chat pre-test conversations in Spanish in which a native speaker was instructed to compliment the student as to naturally assess the response. The student was not aware that s/he would be complimented; as such, this tool may be the most authentic way to assess student pragmatic proficiency within a classroom setting. For comparison purposes, a multiple choice test was also administered. After the pretests, pragmatic interventions on compliment sequences were presented in class, followed by a repeat of the pretests (now posttests). Growth between the tests was the main focus of the data analysis process. Statistical and anecdotal results indicate that the pragmatic lessons greatly increased the students’ ability to recognise appropriate compliment sequences in Spanish, but not to produce them. While these findings are not groundbreaking, the innovative nature of the assessment method used should encourage future researchers to use similar assessment techniques for measuring pragmatic proficiency.

摘要

本研究的目的是采用一种新工具来评估语用能力（过度表现) 在二语学生中，并确定关于恭维序列的语用课程是否对二语西班牙语学生的跨文化能力产生积极影响。为此，中西部大学的学生用西班牙语进行了现场视频聊天预测试对话，其中指示母语为母语的学生称赞学生以自然地评估反应。学生不知道他/她会受到表扬；因此，该工具可能是在课堂环境中评估学生语用能力的最真实方法。为了比较的目的，还进行了多项选择测试。在预测试之后，在课堂上展示了对赞美序列的实用干预，然后是重复的预测试（现在是后测）。测试之间的增长是数据分析过程的主要焦点。统计和轶事结果表明，语用课程极大地提高了学生识别西班牙语适当赞美序列的能力，但不能产生它们。虽然这些发现并不是开创性的，但所使用的评估方法的创新性应该会鼓励未来的研究人员使用类似的评估技术来衡量语用能力。