Bahman Gorjian - Associate Professor, ELT Department, Abadan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abadan, Iran
Masoumeh Pourkaram - Department of ELT, Khouzestan Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran

The present study investigated the effect of pragmatic eliciting tasks on EFL pre-intermediate learners speaking proficiency. Thus this study aimed at comparing the English language learners who practiced pragmatic eliciting tasks and the ones who used traditional speaking activities such as questions and answers, discussion, etc. In doing so, ۴۰ learners out of ۸۰ were selected through Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) with the band score of ۳۰ to ۳۹. Then they were non-randomly divided into two equal experimental and control groups through convenience sampling method. Both groups took a teacher-made pre-test on speaking proficiency and the scores were recorded. The experimental group received pragmatic eliciting tasks including explicit uses of pragmatic functions of speech (i.e., greeting, thanking, etc.) while the control group received these pragmatic tasks implicitly. Finally, both groups took a posttest which was the modified pre-test. Data were analyzed through independent and paired sample t-tests and the results showed that explicit instruction on pragmatic eliciting tasks were effective than the implicit ones in the control group. Implications of the study suggest that the learners should learn pragmatic eliciting tasks for effective uses of language functions in their conversations.

pragmatics, speaking proficiency, Interactive effect, Eliciting tasks, Proficiency