The Role of Technology in Facilitating the Acquisition of Pragmatic Competence in Online English Language Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18326/jopr.v7i1.21-33Keywords:
Pragmatic competence, Online English language learning, Technology-enhanced language learning, intercultural communicationAbstract
Pragmatic competence refers to the ability to use language appropriately in social contexts, and is an essential part of language learning. This research investigation is focused on how technology can be potent for developing pragmatic competence in the remote learning context through the English teachers and English learners of Muhammadiyah University of West Sumatera. Fifteen purposive sample participants were selected based on their Proficiency level (Intermediate to advanced), Regular use of online learning platforms and diverse cultural backgrounds. This qualitative research conducted Semi-structured interview and Online Forum Analysis as the instruments in collecting data. This research found the roles of technology in facilitation the acquisition of Pragmatic competence in online learning are Creating authentic learning experiences, Providing explicit instruction on pragmatic norms, and Fostering meaningful interaction among learners. By leveraging technology like virtual exchange program, online discussion forum, interactive English language platform, and video conferencing, the online English language teachers can empower learners to develop the pragmatic skills necessary for effective communication in diverse cultural contexts. So, technology can be one of the tool in facilitating the acquisition of pragmatic competence through English language learning that is held online.
References
Baker, W. (2015). Culture and Identity through English as a Lingua Franca. DE GRUYTER. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501502149
Blake, R. J. (2013). Brave new digital classroom: Technology and foreign language learning. Georgetown University Press.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence (Multilingual Matters). Multilingual Matters.
Chun, D. (2011). CALL technologies for L2 reading post Web 2.0. Present and Future Promises of CALL: From Theory and Research to New Directions in Language Teaching, 5, 131–170.
Hampel, R., & Stickler, U. (2012). The use of videoconferencing to support multimodal interaction in an online language classroom. ReCALL, 24(2), 116–137.
Ishihara, N., & Cohen, A. D. (2014). Teaching and learning pragmatics: Where language and culture meet. Routledge.
Kasper, G. (2001). Classroom research on interlanguage pragmatics. Pragmatics in Language Teaching/Cambridge University Press.
Kasper, G., & Rose, K. R. (2002). Pragmatic development in a second language. Language Learning.
Little, D. (1991). Learner autonomy: Definitions, issues and problems. Authentik Language Learning Resources Ltd.
Nassaji, H. (2015). Qualitative and descriptive research: Data type versus data analysis. In Language teaching research (Vol. 19, Issue 2, pp. 129–132). Sage Publications Sage UK: London, England.
Sari, M. K., & Yoni, E. (2021). The impacts of Covid-19 pandemy in term of technology literacy usage on students learning experience. Jurnal Sosial Humaniora (JSH), 35–43.
Sykes, J. M., & Dubreil, S. (2019). Pragmatics learning in digital games and virtual environments. In The Routledge handbook of second language acquisition and pragmatics (pp. 387–399). Routledge.
Taguchi, N. (2008). The role of learning environment in the development of pragmatic comprehension: A comparison of gains between EFL and ESL learners. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 30(4), 423–452.
Taguchi, N. (2011). Teaching pragmatics: Trends and issues. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 31, 289–310.
Thomas, J. (2006). Cross-cultural pragmatic failure. World Englishes: Critical Concepts in Linguistics, 4(2), 22.
Thorne, S. L., & Black, R. W. (2007). Language and literacy development in computer-mediated contexts and communities. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 27, 133–160.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mezia Kemala Sari, Efri Yoni, Sri Ariani, Erlinda Syam, Fadila Rasyida

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
License and Copyright Agreement
In submitting the manuscript to the journal, the authors certify that:
- They are authorized by their co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
- The work described has not been formally published before, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, thesis, or overlay journal.
- That it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere,
- That its publication has been approved by all the author(s) and by the responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – of the institutes where the work has been carried out.
- They secure the right to reproduce any material that has already been published or copyrighted elsewhere.
- They agree to the following license and copyright agreement.
Copyright
Authors who publish with JOURNAL OF PRAGMATICS RESEARCH agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.