Navigating Pragmatic Competence Through Online Interaction: Insights into Second Language Learners’ Engagement with Digital Discourse

This qualitative phenomenological study examined how second language learners navigate pragmatic competence in online interaction. Eight purposively selected senior high school students in Angono, Rizal, described their experiences of using English in messaging, social media, gaming, and other digital settings during semi-structured interviews. Using Colaizzi’s phenomenological procedures, the analysis progressed from significant statements and formulated meanings to thematic clusters and an integrated description of the experience. Eight themes emerged, covering everyday English use, contextual interpretation, adjustments to tone and politeness, ambiguity and misunderstanding, negotiation and repair, learning through participation and reflection, identity and belonging, and the need for guided and ethical communication. Learners described calibrating linguistic and multimodal cues to audiences, revising their interpretations in response to feedback, and weighing privacy, reputation, and safety when deciding whether to engage. The Contextualized Digital Pragmatic Development Model represents these experiences as a recurring cycle. The study also developed an educational resource consisting of ten infographics and one integrative closing card. The findings situate digital pragmatic competence in the negotiation of meaning, relationships, identity, and responsibility across online settings.