The Use of Role Plays as a Pedagogical Tool to Enhance Algerian EFL Learners’ Pragmatic Competence in Making Requests

Abstract

This study attempts to investigate the effectiveness of role plays as a pedagogical tool to enhance Algerian EFL learners’ pragmatic competence in making requests. The research study sample was randomly chosen from second year learners of Chaour Messaoud secondary school in Jijel. In order to test both hypotheses that suggest the probability that if Algerian EFL learners are exposed to an adequate pragmatic instruction through the use of role plays, they are likely to develop their pragmatic competence in making requests and that requests can be taught implicitly through the use of role plays ; a one-group pretest- posttest method is used. It included a pretest that was distributed to 20 secondary school learners. After being engaged in acting out six (6) role plays over six sessions in three weeks, the sample took a posttest to see whether there are significant changes. Findings of both tests revealed that adopting role plays as a pedagogical tool can enhance learners’ pragmatic competence particularly in making requests. In the light of these findings, we have suggested some pedagogical implications for curriculum designers, teachers as well as learners