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Pragmatic Knowledge and Pedagogical Practice Among EFL Teachers in Costa Rican Secondary Education

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Given the importance of pragmatics in communicative competence for learners of English as a foreign language, this study investigates Costa Rican EFL teachers’ knowledge, perceptions, and instructional practices regarding pragmatic competence in secondary education. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through a digital questionnaire administered to 62 non-native English-speaking teachers enrolled in a licentiate program at a private university in San José, Costa Rica. Findings reveal that while most participants demonstrate a general, context-based understanding of pragmatics, their knowledge lacks theoretical depth, with formal concepts such as speech acts, deixis, and implicature largely absent from their responses. A significant gap emerged between teachers’ recognition of pragmatics’ importance—with 95% affirming its relevance for learners—and actual classroom practice, as only 40% reported actively teaching it. Barriers identified include exam-driven curricula, time constraints, and insufficient teaching materials, with approximately 85% of participants rating available textbooks as inadequate for supporting pragmatic instruction. These findings are particularly relevant given Costa Rica’s 2016 English Curriculum Transformation, which explicitly incorporates a pragmatic component through the Action-Oriented Approach. The study concludes that systemic gaps in pre-service teacher education, professional development, and instructional resources must be addressed to align classroom practice with national curricular objectives and equip learners with the pragmatic competence needed for authentic communication.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.24146409
Language: English
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7225804674
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