EXPLORING EFL LEARNERS´ PRAGMATIC FAILURE: PERSPECTIVES FROM MOROCCAN EFL TEACHERS

Abstract

Acquiring a language necessitates not only exposure to isolated lexical items and grammar rules but also rules of language use. Such input is profusely available in first language acquisition. However, in foreign language learning contexts, students are often bombarded with grammar rules but receive little to no exposure to pragmatics. Therefore, when they happen to communicate with native speakers, they often experience communication breakdowns. To compensate for this apparent deficiency, teaching and developing EFL students’ pragmatic competence is desirable. Using a semi-structured interview, the current paper explores Moroccan EFL teachers’ perspectives on the place of pragmatics in Moroccan EFL textbooks and sheds light on EFL learners’ pragmatic failure. It also explores teachers’ views on the impact of instruction on EFL learners’ pragmatic competence. Moreover, this paper examines the challenges that teachers face in teaching pragmatics. The findings revealed that Moroccan EFL teachers are not satisfied with the pragmatic content in textbooks and advocate for explicit instruction to address students’ pragmatic failure. Additionally, teachers reported that they face several challenges in teaching pragmatics. Finally, the paper offers recommendations for developing students' pragmatic competence.