DEVELOPMENT OF PRAGMATIC COMPETENCE AMONG EFL LEARNERS

Abstract

Abstract. Pragmatic competence is a vital component of communicative competence because successful interaction depends on appropriate language use in relation to context, intention, and social norms. This article examines the development of pragmatic competence among learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). The study aims to synthesize major theoretical perspectives and empirical findings concerning how EFL learners develop pragmatic awareness, speech-act performance, and context-sensitive communicative behavior. The article also reviews foundational and recent scholarship on interlanguage pragmatics, with attention to pragmatic failure, speech acts, formulaic expressions, explicit and implicit instruction, and technology-mediated learning.