International Journal of Language & Linguistics

Pragmatics Role in the EFL Teaching to Indonesian Junior and Senior High School Students
Gunawan Suryoputro, Suyatno

Abstract
EFL students crucially need pragmatic competence to communicate appropriately and effectively. However, teaching pragmatic aspects is easier said than done in the Indonesian classroom context. This study aimed to question (1) how Indonesian EFL textbook writers introduce pragmatic aspects to junior and senior high school students, (2) what barriers to teaching pragmatics are encountered by the Indonesian EFL teachers, and (3) to what extent EFL students make use of pragmatic aspects when they speak Indonesian and English. To address these questions, some English textbooks written by Indonesian writers were analyzed, and some Indonesian EFL teachers and students were selected to be respondents: answering questionnaires and composing short dialogues respectively. The result revealed that pragmatic aspects were partially discussed in the textbooks and rarely taught by the EFL teachers due to some obstacles. As a result, the EFL students’ pragmatic competence was not developed properly. Because of the importance of students’ pragmatic skills, a further study of a practical teaching is needed for the EFL teachers in order to facilitate the EFL students to develop their pragmatic competence.

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