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Part of
Innovative Approaches to Research in Hispanic Linguistics: Regional, diachronic, and learner profile variation
Edited by Sara Fernández Cuenca, Tiffany Judy and Lauren Miller
[Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 38] 2023
► pp. 173–195

Chapter 8
Promoting Spanish L2 pragmatic competence in a virtual environment

The relationship between processes
and instructional methods

| Northern Arizona University
| Northern Arizona University

Virtual Environments (VE) can mimic the myriad dimensions that native speakers take into account in authentic social interactions and are one of the instructional conditions (e.g., methodological approaches, learning affordances) that can be used to promote pragmatic competence. The present study employs big-data techniques to provide a parsimonious and quantifiable model of affordance usage in VEs fostering L2 Spanish learners’ pragmatic abilities. We employ data-reduction analyses to synthesize tracking data that recorded learners’ use of software features within consciousness-raising and structured-input, both involving task-based language teaching (TBLT). The analysis suggests that three macro variables can significantly classify different learning conditions: (i) movement through the VE, (ii) type of interaction with affordances providing input, (iii) time on task.

Keywords: pragmatic competence, second language learning, Spanish, CALL, principal component analysis, affordances
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Developing pragmatic competence
    • 1.2Understanding the design principles that promote pragmatic competence
    • 1.3Affordances and call
  • 2.Research question
  • 3.Method and materials
    • 3.1Consciousness-raising Group (CR)
    • 3.2Structured Input Group (SI)
  • 4.Procedure
  • 5.Analysis
    • 5.1Principal components analysis
    • 5.2Discriminant analysis
    • 5.3Predicting pragmatic gains
  • 6.Results
    • 6.1Positing a VE affordance usage model
      • 6.1.1Macro variable: Exploration
      • 6.1.2Macro variable: Input
      • 6.1.3Macro variable: Time in area
      • 6.1.4Model summary
    • 6.2Assessing the VE affordance usage model’s explanatory potential
    • 6.3Testing the VE affordance usage model’s potential for predicting pragmatic gains in a VE
  • 7.Discussion and conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 7 June 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ihll.38.08col
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