Dimension

110 Dimension 2016
Table 1
Classification of Pragmatic Functions Tested in the Study
Pragmatic function
1. Giving participants’ name Assertive
2. Spelling the name Assertive
3. Expressing hunger Expressive
4. Giving directions Assertive
5. Ordering food Directive
6. Asking for the check Directive
7. Giving directions a second time Assertive
8. Leave-taking Expressive
Illocutionary act (speech act)
The following excerpt, Pretest Example, shows the portion of the pretest during
which functions 5 and 6 were elicited from participants.
Pretest Example:
Examinador: Aquí está el menú. ¿Qué quieres? Examiner: Here is the menu.
What would you like?
[Examples below are to appear in a box.]
Burritos Nachos Quesadilla Bebidas Postres
De pollo De queso De queso Coca cola Empanada de manzanas
De ternera De pollo De frijoles Té Churros
De pescado De cactus Agua
Estudiante: [se graba]
Student: [records]
Examinador: Yo una quesadilla de cactus y un té. ¿Pides la cuenta?
Examiner: For me, a cactus quesadilla and a tea. Can you ask for the check?
Estudiante: [se graba]
Student: [records]
Pedagogical Intervention. After taking the pretest, participants completed lessons
covering several pragmatic functions (such as ordering food or giving directions)
either via video (MVL) or via worksheets (see Table 1 above for specific functions).
Participants were in one of two groups. The experimental group saw the first five episodes
of MVL, spaced out evenly so there would be one video shown every four days
of class. The videos were each shown once in class with subtitles in English and Spanish,
given the reported beneficial effect of captioning for foreign language listening
(Winke, Gass, and Sydorenko, 2010). No rewinding was allowed to create consistency.
When MVL asked students to answer the video, the instructor randomly selected
a student to answer the question out loud. This was done to encourage participation