A Mixed Methods Study on the Pragmatic Competence of English Major Students

This study investigated the pragmatic competence of English major students at Kapalong College of Agriculture, Sciences, and Technology (KCAST), addressed a gap in localized research on how English majors developed and applied pragmatic skills in real-life contexts. While previous studies had explored pragmatic competence broadly, few had focused on Philippine settings and the lived experiences of English majors navigating diverse communicative situations. This study utilized mixed method design, using convergent parallel approach. The study involved 185 English major students from 1st year to 4th year for the quantitative phase, while 14 students participated in the qualitative phase: 7 for in- depth interviews and 7 for focus group discussions (FGD). In the quantitative phase, the results revealed that the level of pragmatic competence of English major students was very high. Moreover, the study revealed eight major themes in the qualitative phase, that the experiences and coping mechanisms were impacted by different factors which were classified as (1) Understanding and using English in different contexts, (2) Challenges in understanding and using English in different social situations, (3) Role of teachers and peers in developing pragmatic skills in English, (4) Practicing skills through learner interaction, (5) Strategies used to manage uncertainty in English communication within social contexts, (6) Strategies to use English appropriately in various social contexts, (7) Use of feedback to improve their English communication in social situations, and (8) Practices for enhancing pragmatic skills and confidence in English. These findings not only affirmed but also deepened the understanding of how pragmatic competence developed in academic settings. Furthermore, the results showed that the quantitative findings mostly corroborated with the qualitative findings, which strengthened the validity of the findings. This research contributes new insights by highlighting context-specific challenges and strategies that have been largely overlooked in previous studies, particularly within local educational settings.