Pragmatic Development in Study‐Abroad Contexts

Abstract

Study abroad offers second language (L2) speakers the opportunity to employ the L2 in a wide range of settings, for various purposes, and with different interlocutors. Through participation in everyday activities that involve the L2, study‐abroad students can be exposed to the pragmatic practices of the host community which, in turn, can facilitate L2 pragmatic development. Therefore, study abroad would appear to be an ideal context for pragmatic development, and, indeed, many study‐abroad students do become more native‐like in pragmatics after a stay abroad. However, due to a variety of factors, there is considerable variability in pragmatics learning outcomes. This entry discusses the role of study abroad in pragmatic development, highlighting the aspects of pragmatics that tend to be learned and discussing variables that influence pragmatic development in study‐abroad contexts.