The Impact of the Formal Instruction of Invitation Speech Act on the Ostensible and Genuine Pragmatic Knowledge of Iranian EFL Learners

The present study was an attempt to investigate the impact of formal instruction as a facilitative tool to develop the ostensible and genuine pragmatic knowledge of Iranian EFL learners with a focus on the “speech act of invitation”. The participants of this study were ۶۰ females Iranian EFL learners at the intermediate level who were divided into two different groups, control and experimental. The all went through the Interchange series which resulted in having a similar background in learning English. The participants’ level was assessed with both a pretest and a posttest in order to be homogenized considering their pragmatic knowledge in advance. The results of this study showed that the formal instruction affected the participants by giving them a higher level of proficiency in pragmatic knowledge.  The findings of the study would be helpful for language teachers and curriculum developers.

Keywords:

EFL Learner , Formal instruction , Intermediate level , Pragmatic knowledge , Speech act of invitation