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International Conference 2018
Featured Session
The Pragmatics of Fluency and Disfluency: Teaching and Testing Implications
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In language assessment, grades for fluency are usually based on a candidate’s ability to speak smoothly and to minimize hesitation, self-correction, repetition, and the frequency and length of pauses. For example, in the category of discourse management, Cambridge proficiency descriptors value the ability “to produce extended stretches of discourse with very little hesitation.” IELTS fluency and coherence descriptors, value the minimization of hesitation that is based on searching for lexis or language structure, while accepting that which is “content related.” However, there are situations where hesitations, pauses, and the use of fillers convey important interpersonal information. These tend to be the kind where some sensitivity is required, such as dealing with uncertainty or negotiating a situation that may be face threatening. In this session, we look at some of the communicative functions of disfluency and provide some suggestions for teachers to consider in planning a more comprehensive approach to spoken communication.
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Invited Second Session
Integrating Pragmatic Information in Teaching
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The teaching and learning of pragmatics pose specific challenges in the foreign language context, where the only source of pragmatic input is usually the textbook. Teachers have not always had the opportunity to develop high levels of pragmatic knowledge, because they have been educated and gained their experience within a system that places the strongest emphasis on grammar and vocabulary. Assessment tasks reinforce this bias. It is rare for learners to have out-of-class opportunities to develop sensitivity to the requirements of different communicative contexts and to understand their determining role in determining appropriate language choices. This paper reports on an ongoing project based on the analysis of pragmatic input in current high school textbooks in Vietnam and the design of companion materials. The goal is to assist and inspire teachers to work within their existing curriculum to create opportunities for the development of learners’ pragmatic knowledge and competence.
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Biographical Sketch
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Jill Murray is a lecturer and researcher at Macquarie University. She teaches postgraduate units on pragmatics, intercultural communication, and the role of context in language teaching and learning. Her many years as a teacher and teacher educator have spurred her interest in both the teaching and learning of pragmatics, and the assessment of pragmatic competence in a range of specialist contexts (such as, most recently, overseas-trained professionals seeking work in Australia). She has also researched and published on other aspects of language test design and impact. Early in her career, she lived and worked in Greece, and in 2015, she commenced a major research project investigating the experiences of Greek-Australians in homeland contexts. Jill also supervises research on language maintenance and shift in other community languages, and the presentation of pragmatic information in EFL, ESL, and heritage-language teaching materials.
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Jill Murray Resources on the Web
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