Long-term effects of pragmatics strategy instruction: email invitation-requests and Chinese EFL learners

Abstract This study employs a pre-test/post-test/delayed post-test design to investigate the long-term effects of pragmatics strategy instruction on Chinese EFL learners’ email invitation-requests. It further examines the extent to which learner motivation influences instructional effectiveness. Two groups of learners – a high-motivation group and a low-motivation group – were formed. They received 12 h of pragmatics strategy instruction over one month, during which they were taught several cognitive and metacognitive strategies related to learning pragmatics. Learners’ pragmatic performance was assessed through an electronic discourse completion test. Results from the post-test and delayed post-test indicated that both groups showed significant and sustained pragmatic improvements, with their frequency and variety of internal and external modifiers significantly increased. However, the moderating role of motivation was not confirmed. This study adds strong support to the facilitative role of strategy instruction in developing learners’ email pragmatic competence and provides informed pedagogical implications for both L2 learners and L2 teachers.