Using Task-based Instruction to Develop EFL Learners’ Pragmatic Oral Fluency

Learning speech acts is a vital ability in successful conversations. English language learners need not only to know how to construct grammatical structures, but they also need to know the pragmatic functions of those utterances. The objective of the current research is to instruct learners in mastering the pragmatic functions of language, which is a significant challenge for Iranian learners. The current research investigates the efficacy of task-based instruction (TBI) in developing the pragmatic competence of oral fluency among advanced Iranian EFL learners. A quasi-experimental study with a pre-test and post-test was adopted to examine learners' problems in using pragmatic oral fluency through task-based exercises. The sample comprised 64 students selected from the research population in an English language institute. They were randomly assigned to a control group (CG) receiving a conventional approach (i.e., Presentation, practice, production, PPP), and an experimental group (EG) acquiring pragmatic competence of oral fluency. In a pretest, they passed conversation tests. Then they participated in intervention sessions of text-based exercises in the CG and TBI in the EG for a whole semester. Parametric statistics showed the outperformance of TBI over the PPP in the post-test. Implications of the study suggest the effective impact of TBI on students' pragmatic oral fluency.