Developing Pragmatic Comprehension of Indirect Speech Acts through Explicit Instruction: Evidence from Algerian EFL University Students

This quasi-experimental study investigates the effectiveness of explicit pragmatic instruction on Algerian EFL university students' comprehension of indirect speech acts. Sixty-four second-year English majors from an Algerian university participated in an eight-week intervention. The experimental group (n = 32) received explicit instruction targeting requests, refusals, and suggestions, while the control group (n = 32) followed conventional communicative language teaching methods. Data collection involved discourse completion tasks and metapragmatic assessments administered pre- and post-intervention. Analysis of covariance revealed statistically significant differences favoring the experimental group, F(1, 61) = 47.83, p < .001, ?²p = .32, with large effect sizes for request comprehension (Cohen's d = 1.28) and refusal recognition (Cohen's d = 1.18). Qualitative analysis of learner reflections indicated enhanced metalinguistic awareness and contextual sensitivity. Findings provide novel evidence supporting the integration of explicit pragmatic instruction within Algerian EFL curricula, addressing persistent gaps between linguistic competence and pragmatic performance. This study offers one of the first empirical investigations of pragmatic comprehension development in the Algerian EFL context, extending current interlanguage pragmatics research. Pedagogical implications emphasize structured awareness-raising activities, authentic materials incorporation, and teacher professional development in pragmatic pedagogy.