Teaching Requests: A Contrast between Comprehension-Based and Production-Based Approaches

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to suggest how to teach pragmatics to EFL learners, specifically requests, following two approaches: comprehension-based and production-based approaches. The intention of this study is to stimulate teachers to offer a focus on pragmatics in their classrooms and thus integrate them in the syllabus. It also aims to highlight the importance of second language acquisition as ‘skill learning’. Concepts such as comprehensible input, noticing, interaction, and corrective feedback are deeply addressed through the research since they need to be taken into account when dealing with acquiring the language. To reinforce this conception, a distinction between learning a second language in non-instructional settings, that is, natural acquisition and structure-based instructions will play a relevant role in the carrying out of this research. After the concept of pragmatic knowledge and the insights from second language acquisition are reviewed, this article will evaluate several hypothetical pedagogical tasks for the teaching of requests, in which ten students need to learn how to understand and produce requests, always keeping in mind the contrast between these two pedagogical approaches. In other words, out of these ten students, five of them will only be taught following a comprehension-based approach and the rest will adhere to a production-based procedure. Finally, there will be a whole assessment to evaluate the success of the specific approach in the students.