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T H E N U T S A N D B O L T S O F P R A G M A T I C S I N S T R U C T I O N
pragmatics. You may have learned from different perspectives that your colleagues
have about your concerns. There may be complex issues that need to be discussed in
greater depth. You may have gained ideas from the experiences, insights, and expertise
available through your network of teacher colleagues. It is our hope that you will main-
tain collaborative relationships with your colleagues so that you can share with them
your creative insights and concerns with regard to the teaching of pragmatics.

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C H A P T E R 1 1
Curriculum writing for L2
pragmatics – principles
and practice in the
teaching of L2 pragmatics
Noriko Ishihara
Introduction
T
here may be a misconception among some curriculum writers,
teachers, and language learners alike that learners will somehow
“pick up” the native-like ability to use language according to context as long
as they are immersed in the L2 environment. This false impression may be
why pragmatics has had such a low profile in the L2 curriculum. However, if
no formal instruction is provided, learners may take an extended period of
time – typically over 10 years – to acquire native-like pragmatic ability, even
in a second-language setting where learners are exposed to the target lan-
guage on a daily basis.
1
Pragmatic language use is difficult to learn for many
reasons, such as differing cultural norms of appropriateness; regional, gener-
ational, ethnic, and individual variation; grammatical and lexical complexity;
and subtleties of nuances and non-verbal behavior. As we have seen earlier
in Chapter 8, existing language textbooks often pay short shrift to pragmatics-
related concerns, if they are addressed at all. In the practical world of 
teaching, textbook materials often dictate the course curriculum, and for
these reasons, there is a genuine need for research-based pragmatics instruc-
tion that more accurately reflects how language is actually used in context.
1
Olshtain and Blum-Kulka (1985).

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