SEMs' Pragmatic Competence And Learning Motivation: A Correlation Analysis

Pragmatic competence is an important component of the communicative competence. It can be considered as the ability to use a target language tactfully and appropriately in a certain context. It is obvious that pragmatic development is essential in English learning since the understanding of the correct form of language does not mean the correct use of the language. Learning motivation, which has been widely studied by the researchers at home and abroad, is one of the most important individual difference variables. However, the studies about its impact on pragmatic development are inadequate. In addition, SEMs'pragmatic competence also exist some deficiencies, such as the lack of pragmatic knowledge and the scarcity of pragmatic awareness, etc. Considering these facts, the correlation between SEMs'pragmatic competence and learning motivation deserves investigating. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate SEMs'pragmatic competence and their learning motivation, and then analyses the correlation between the two variables so as to prove learning motivation influences their pragmatic competence most and then explore the effective teaching and learning methods for improving their pragmatic competence and enhancing their teaching and learning quality.A survey of 110 SEMs from Foreign Language Institute of Hunan Normal University is conducted at first in order to investigate SEMs'pragmatic competence. The results of this survey show that SEMs'pragmatic competence is at a low level, with their sociopragmatic competence a little higher than their pragmalingistic competence. Considering the low level of SEMs'pragmatic competence, the factors affecting their pragmatic competence are analysed. It is obvious that learning motivation is the most important factor influencing SEMs'pragmatic competence compared with other factors such as learner's personality, language aptitude and learning style. In order to know the general state of SEMs'learning motivation, another survey concerned SEMs'learning motivation is conducted among the same participants, which shows that their integrative motivation a little higher than their instrumental motivation, and then the correlation between SEMs'pragmatic competence (sociopragmatic competence and pragmalingistic competence) and learning motivation (integrative motivation and instrumental motivation) is analysed with the data of the two questionnaires which are collected respectively and computed by SPSS for windows 17.0. The correlation analysis results are shown as follows: (a) a strong positive correlation exists between SEMs'sociopragmatic competence and integrative motivation; (b) a moderate negative correlation exists between SEMs'sociopragmatic competence and instrumental motivation; (c) a moderate positive correlation exists between SEMs'pragmalinguistic competence and integrative motivation; (d) a weak negative correlation exists between SEMs'pragmalinguistic competence and instrumental motivation. Based on the findings are four implications for improving SEMs'pragmatic competence: firstly, setting pragmatic development goal as one of their English learning goals; secondly, raising their pragmatic awareness; thirdly, generating and protecting their pragmatic learning motivation in their pragmatic development; fourthly, encouraging their pragmatic output.