Second Language Pragmatics and English Language Education in East Asia

This edited collection addresses the link between second language pragmatics (including interlanguage and intercultural) research and English language education. The chapters use different contemporary research methods and theoretical frameworks such as conversation analysis, language-learners-as-ethnographers, discourse and interactional approaches and data in contexts (either in the region or overseas).

The content explores and discusses the significance of learning and teaching of second language (L2) pragmatics in language education for learners who use English as a lingua franca for academic and intercultural communication purposes with native and non-native speakers of English, focusing on pragmatic actions, social behaviours, perceptions and awareness levels in three regions in East Asia - China, Japan and South Korea. It is an important contribution to the area of second language pragmatics in language education for East Asian learners. It recommends research-informed pedagogies for the learning and teaching of interlanguage or intercultural pragmatics in regions and places where similar cultural beliefs or practices are found.

This is an essential read for researchers, language educators, classroom teachers, readers who are interested in second language pragmatics research and those interested in second language acquisition and English language education in the East Asian context.

Cynthia Lee is Professor-cum-Head of Education in the School of Education and Languages at the Open University of Hong Kong, Deputy Director of the Research Institute for Bilingual Learning and Teaching and Director of the Language Centre. Her research areas include L2 pragmatics in the educational context, English language learning and teaching and computer-assisted writing. Her most recent book is Researching and Teaching Second Language Speech Acts in the Chinese Context, published in 2018.