چکیده:
Pragmatic competence is one of the most important components of successful communication; also, it is the most difficult aspect of SLA. This study aimed to explore the effects of concurrent group dynamic assessment (G-DA) on Iranian EFL learners’ learning of requests and refusals, following a mixed method design. In the experimental part of the study, 2 intact classes were homogenized by a pretest, with 24 written discourse completion tasks (WDCTs), carried out by the participants as the treatment. Concurrent G-DA group received calibrated feedback, whereas the nondynamic assessment (N-DA) group was explicitly provided with pertinent assistance without considering their zone of proximal development (ZPD). Additionally, for the sake of a qualitative study, all the dialogues between the teacher and pairs of students under investigation were audiorecorded while they were receiving the treatment. Finally, a WDCT posttest was administered to both groups. Results of the analysis of the data, using t test, showed that the G-DA group performed significantly better than the N-DA group. Also, the qualitative microgenetic analysis of the dialogues between the learners and their teacher indicated the effectiveness of concurrent G-DA in learning requests and refusals, thus corroborating the efficiency of dynamic assessment (DA) in pragmatic instruction. Implications and applications are discussed in this study.
خلاصه ماشینی:
Effects of Concurrent Group Dynamic Assessment on Iranian EFL Learners’ Pragmatic Competence: A Case of Requests and Refusals1 Mahmoodreza Moradian2, Marzieh Asadi3, & Zeinab Azadbakht4 Received: 19/06/2018 Accepted: 12/05/2019 Abstract Pragmatic competence is one of the most important components of successful communication; also, it is the most difficult aspect of SLA.
Aiming to more substantiate the efficacy of DA in ILP instruction, this study, more precisely, was an attempt to investigate the effects of concurrent group dynamic assessment (G-DA) on Iranian EFL learners’ learning of requests and refusals.
In another study, to develop ILP competence of Iranian EFL learners’ acquisition of the speech acts of apology and request, Shirazi, Ahmadi, and Gholami (2016) included a video game-based pragmatic competence instruction as a facilitative tool.
” Hence, consistent with Ohta’s (2000) seminal article where she encouraged L2 researchers to apply Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory and his ZPD to ILP instruction, the current study was an attempt to cast some light on the effect of concurrent G-DA on Iranian EFL learners’ acquisition of speech acts of requests and refusals both empirically and through microgenetic lenses.
As a result, in terms of the role of pragmatic instruction, the findings of the current study are in line with those of previous studies (Farrokhi & Atashian, 2012; Khodareza & Lotfi, 2012; Kim, 2016; Li, Suleiman, & Sazalie, 2015; Liu, 2007; Mirzaei & Esmaeili, 2013; Nemati & Arabmoradi, 2014; Saadatmandi, Modarres Khiabani, & Pourdana, 2018; Shirazi, Ahmadi, & Gholami, 2016; Tajeddin & Hosseinpur, 2014; Wilson, 2017), which emphasize that pragmatic competence can be developed through classroom instruction.