Teaching Pragmatics in Japanese as a Foreign Language

Abstract

This paper introduces new material for teaching Japanese as a foreign language (JFL). I present sample JFL material that I developed targeting for intermediate level American students at universities in the United States. Specifically, I focus on conversation openings and introduce material which contains dialogues, oral practices, and cultural explanations that will aid students in understanding appropriate language use in some specific contexts. The material aims to raise the students' pragmatic awareness in Japanese and enables them to produce language appropriate to the context. Teaching pragmatic competence to foreign language learners is a vital component of language acquisition. Learners are expected to know how context affects the choice of form and function of an utterance in a particular speech community when interacting with native speakers of the target language. I expect the materials to contribute to JFL education and to reduce misunderstandings between native speakers and learners in natural discourse.