Explicit instruction for request strategy development during short-term study abroad

ABSTRACT

The present study reports on the impact of pedagogical intervention on the second language (L2) pragmatic development of seven L2 learners of Spanish during a short-term study abroad (SA) experience in Buenos Aires, Argentina. During pre-departure orientation, the students received 90 minutes of explicit instruction about requests. In the course of their time abroad, the students were given strategic tasks designed to draw their attention to pragmatic features of the host community. Using role plays to measure the effects of the intervention, we compared our students’ request strategies before and after SA, and then once again five weeks after their return to the United States. Results indicate that the participants became more target-like in their use of requests from pre-test to post-test, and from pre-test to delayed post-test. Our findings suggest that explicit instruction has the potential to enhance L2 pragmatic development in SA contexts.

RESUMEN

Este estudio se enfoca en el impacto de la intervención pedagógica sobre el desarrollo pragmático de siete estudiantes durante un estudio en el extranjero de corta duración en Buenos Aires, Argentina. Antes del viaje, los estudiantes recibieron 90 minutos de enseñanza explícita sobre peticiones. Durante su estadía, se les dio una serie de tareas estratégicas diseñadas para hacerles notar rasgos pragmáticos importantes de la cultura argentina. Usando breves simulaciones para medir el efecto de la intervención, comparamos las estrategias de petición que usaron antes e inmediatamente después de su estadía, y también cinco semanas después de haber vuelto a los Estados Unidos. Los resultados indican que entre el comienzo y el fin del programa de estudio, y aún cinco semanas después del fin del programa, la realización de peticiones por parte de los estudiantes de español se asemejó a la de los hablantes nativos de español. Los resultados señalan que en el contexto de un programa de estudios en el extranjero, la enseñanza explícita puede tener un impacto positivo sobre el desarrollo pragmático de la L2 en los estudiantes.

KEYWORDS:

• Explicit instruction
• requests
• pragmatics
• second language acquisition (SLA)
• study abroad (SA)

PALABRAS CLAVE:

• Instrucción explícita
• peticiones
• pragmática
• adquisición de segundas lenguas (ASL): estudio en el extranjero

Notes

1 Shively (2011) reported that L2 learners may move from indirect to direct requests when the target norms favor direct requests, as is often the case in Peninsular Spanish. The author found that students began to incorporate direct requests (e.g., Ponme un café) into service encounter exchanges in Spain, representing a shift toward the target norm.

2 Internal modification refers to strategies that a speaker can use as part of the core request sequence to mitigate the impact of the request. In Spanish, internal modification includes verbal downgrading (e.g., conditional, past tense), the politeness marker por favor, and other lexical tokens (e.g., quizás, un poquito, unos días más). External modification refers to strategies that a speaker can use prior to or after the core request to lessen the impact of the request (e.g., Preparator, Grounder, Disarmer).

3 Estimated ACTFL (2012) proficiency levels for participants prior to SA: Participant 1 = Intermediate High; Participant 2 = Intermediate High; Participant 3 = Intermediate Mid; Participant 4 = Intermediate Mid; Participant 5 = Intermediate Mid; Participant 6 = Advanced Low; Participant 7 = Intermediate High.