L’insegnamento Della Competenza Pragmatica / Teaching Pragmatic Competence

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the possibility of a diachronic approach to pragmatic competence in a foreign language. The main objective of the paper is to examine the methods that were used by the authors of grammar books published before the 20th century with the goal of ascertaining to what extent it was possible to teach pragmatic competence. The main hypothesis is that methods for teaching pragmatic competence existed even before the 20th century, but that complex theories and methodologies did not. To that end we adapt the modern speech act theory as a framework for analysis of grammars for foreigners, I analyze the historical profile of the foreign language learner, and I individualize possible language needs in a diachronic perspective. The central part of the research consists of a qualitative analysis of speech acts from Casotti (1709) and of the analysis of their communicative role. The results implied by this research can further be used for research in the field of didactics – both historical and modern – and that of historical linguistics, more specifically historical pragmatics.