Second Language Pragmatics and Young Language Learners: EFL Primary School Contexts in Europe

This book brings together L2 pragmatics research in the under-explored context of EFL primary classrooms. Presenting studies from across Europe, the chapters provide a rich exploration of young learners’ pragmatic performance, awareness and development, classroom practices and the views of teachers and learners on pragmatics instruction.

Gila A. Schauer is Professor of English and Applied Linguistics at the University of Erfurt, Germany. Her recent publications include Teaching and Learning English in the Primary School: Interlanguage Pragmatics in the EFL context (Springer, 2019) and her research focuses on L2 pragmatics, intercultural competence, and literature in L2 teaching and learning.

Maria Economidou-Kogetsidis is Professor of English and Applied Linguistics at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus. Her research spans L2 and intercultural pragmatics, cross-cultural communication, linguistic politeness and L2 email pragmatics. She is the co-author of Researching and Teaching Speech Acts with Young L2 Learners: Beneath the Linguistic Surface (with Savic and Myrset, Multilingual Matters, 2025).

Milica Savic is Professor of English and Applied Linguistics at the University of Stavanger, Norway. Her main research interests include L2 pragmatics, especially children’s (meta)pragmatic development, email communication and, more recently, critical visual literacy and participatory research approaches with children.

Anders Myrset is Associate Professor of ELT Methodology at the University of Stavanger, Norway. His research has mainly focused on children’s L2 (meta)pragmatic development, L2 pragmatics instruction and, more recently, aspects related to participatory research with children. He is also an author of ELT textbooks for young language learners.