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Article published In: Study Abroad Research in Second Language Acquisition and International Education
Vol. 10:2 (2025) ► pp.225–256

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“Shall we talk? Everyone is talking”

L2 pragmatic challenges noticed by Chinese study-abroad postgraduates in the United Kingdom

ORCiD logo with link | University of York
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

Open Access publication of this article was funded through a Transformative Agreement with University of York.

Published online: 19 May 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/sar.24013.liu
Abstract
This study explores how study-abroad learners perceive and interpret gaps in their L2 pragmatic knowledge. While previous research focuses on pragmatic development in specific speech acts or pragmatic phenomena, this research adopts a learner-centered approach, emphasizing pragmatic challenges noticed by learners themselves during naturalistic interactions. Data were collected through learning journals and interviews with five Chinese students studying in the United Kingdom over one academic year. Results reveal that learners predominantly notice pragmatic gaps in three scenarios: (1) encountering unfamiliar sociopragmatic and pragmalinguistic features, (2) experiencing difficulties in negotiating social or moral meanings, and (3) receiving implicit feedback from interlocutors regarding their pragmatic choices. Pragmatic awareness was particularly triggered in rapport-sensitive interactions with tutors and non-transactional conversations like small talk. While noticing sometimes led to metapragmatic reflection, learners often overgeneralized or misinterpreted sociopragmatic norms. The findings highlight the need for specialized pragmatics instruction in ESL/EFL contexts to support SA students.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
    • 2.1Pragmatics as the intersection of culture, language, and identity
    • 2.2Noticing in L2 pragmatic development
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1Five participants
    • 3.2Data collection via learning journals and interviews
    • 3.3Paradigmatic analysis
  • 4.Findings: Noticing of pragmatics in L2 input, output, and interactions
    • 4.1“Cheers” means “Thank you”?: Unfamiliar pragmatic features in L2 input
    • 4.2Is “I hope you are doing well” too casual?: Social and moral considerations in L2 output
    • 4.3“Look, he thought you are a king!”: Feedback in L2-mediated interactions
    • 4.4Metapragmatic comparison and reflection triggered by noticing
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Implications for ESL/EFL tutors and higher education institutions
  • Note
  • References
References (90)
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