Individual Network of Linguistic Practice (INoLP): Quantifying social networks and pragmatic competence of international students during their sojourn abroad

Abstract Study abroad (SA) programs are widely recognized for their role in enhancing students’ language skills through immersive environments. However, there remains a gap in understanding how social interaction within these contexts influences their pragmatic development. This study examines the relationship between international students’ social networks and their pragmatic competence, introducing a novel individual network of linguistic practice (INoLP) framework to conceptualize language use and interactions in SA settings. Appropriateness judgment tasks were administered to 311 Chinese international students in the UK to measure their receptive pragmatic competence. Their social networks were mapped using a graphical interactive questionnaire. Quantitative analysis revealed significant correlations between pragmatic competence and several social network properties, including size, similarity, the presence of L2-speaking interlocutors, tie strength, contact frequency, and tie dispersion. Moreover, four network properties—tie dispersion, tie strength with multinationals, contact frequency with conationals, and the presence of L2-speaking contacts—emerged as significant predictors of pragmatic competence. This study pioneers a quantitative exploration of pragmatic competence through a social network lens, offering insights with theoretical, methodological, and practical implications.