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[Research Contribution] English Teacher Educators’ Understanding of Pragmatics and the Challenges in Teaching: A Study from Vietnam

15 November, 2025

Keywords: Second Language Pragmatics; Teacher Professional Development; Effective Professional Development; Training Workshops; Pragmatic Input; English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Textbooks

Second language (L2) pragmatics—a core element that enables learners to use English naturally and effectively—remains insufficiently emphasized in EFL textbooks, curricula, and teacher training. A study by authors from the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) and Victoria University of Wellington has demonstrated the positive effectiveness of a training workshop model in enhancing awareness and knowledge of L2 pragmatics. The findings not only affirm the importance of Professional Development (PD) in teaching pragmatics but also suggest a feasible path for teacher capacity building in resource-constrained countries, contributing to a more systematic and sustainable integration of L2 pragmatics instruction in the EFL classroom.

Pragmatics – A Neglected Communication Skill

When learning a foreign language, we often focus on vocabulary, grammar, or pronunciation. However, a crucial element that is frequently overlooked in English teacher training programs is L2 pragmatics—the use of language appropriately in different social situations.

For example, in Vietnamese, a comment like “You seem to have gained weight” can be a compliment. However, saying this in English to a foreigner could be perceived as offensive. This is a classic example of pragmatic differences between cultures.

A Study in Vietnam: What Do English Teacher Educators Understand About Pragmatics?

A study conducted by the authors at a university of foreign language teacher education in Vietnam sought to understand:

What do English teacher educators (TEs) know about pragmatics?
Do they believe that teaching pragmatics to students is important?
Do they actually teach pragmatics in their classes? If so, how?

The authors surveyed and interviewed 14 teacher educators and observed the classes of some of them.

Findings: Teacher Educators Divided into Two Distinct Groups

The authors found that the 14 teacher educators were evenly divided into two groups:

Group A (7 individuals): Possessed a good understanding of pragmatics, had studied or lived abroad, had previously researched pragmatics, or were self-taught. They were able to explain concepts such as speech acts, politeness, cultural differences, and so on.
Group B (7 individuals): Had a limited or vague understanding, often giving brief, uncertain answers and few concrete examples. Some felt unqualified to teach pragmatics because they were not native speakers or had never lived abroad.

Notably, many TEs in Group B lacked confidence in their own pragmatic competence and believed that teaching pragmatics is only suitable for advanced students—a common but incorrect viewpoint according to modern research, which advocates for teaching pragmatics from the elementary level.

Belief Without Action: When Conviction Doesn’t Lead to Practice

Most teacher educators acknowledged the importance of pragmatics, agreeing that students need to know not just what to say, but also how to say it, to whom, and in what circumstances. However, in practice, only a few actually taught pragmatics systematically.

The majority only addressed pragmatics opportunistically when the occasion arose, or integrated it in a very limited way. Only three TEs reported correcting students’ pragmatic errors, while most still focused primarily on grammatical mistakes.

Some argued that pragmatics was “too difficult” for their current student teachers, who were still weak in grammar and vocabulary. But it is this very mindset that prevents students from ever having the opportunity to develop practical communication skills.

Teaching in Practice: A Lack of Direction and Content

Classroom observations of four teacher educators revealed that the time devoted to pragmatics was extremely minimal, with most having no explicit instruction. Some TEs only provided isolated examples without any analysis or guidance on how to use them in specific contexts.

For example, in a listening class, a TE merely stated, “a high tone can indicate humor,” but provided no real-world examples or application exercises. In a speaking class, a TE taught how to “give advice” using simple sentence patterns but failed to explain the differences in politeness levels required in various contexts.

Why is Pragmatics Overlooked?

Three main reasons can explain why pragmatics is neglected:

Lack of expertise and teaching methods: Even TEs who are knowledgeable about pragmatics feel they have not been trained on how to teach it to others.
Misconceptions: Many TEs believe pragmatics is only for advanced students, whereas research indicates it can and should be taught at all levels.
Lack of curricular requirements: There are no official guidelines or requirements to integrate pragmatics into the English teacher education program.

Recommendations from the Research

The authors’ study offers three key recommendations:

Train teacher educators on pragmatics and how to teach it: This is a crucial step to improve the quality of English teacher training.
Integrate pragmatics into the formal curriculum: Instead of teaching pragmatic theory in a separate course, it should be embedded in skill-based subjects like listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Promote research and self-study among teacher educators: Those who actively learn or conduct research on pragmatics demonstrate higher competence and apply it more in their teaching.

Pragmatics is not a luxury “advanced” skill but is central to effective communication. To train English teachers who can help their students communicate effectively in a global environment, we must start with the teacher educators themselves.

To achieve this, there is a need for a shift in mindset, an enhancement of capabilities, and, most importantly, a view of pragmatics as an indispensable part of English language teaching at all levels.

Read the full research paper: English Teacher Educators’ Understanding of Pragmatics and the Challenges in Teaching: A Study from Vietnam HERE.

Authors: Dr. Ton Nu Tuy Anh – University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, Assoc. Prof. Jonathan Newton – Victoria University of Wellington

This article is part of the series spreading research and applied knowledge from UEH with the message “Research Contribution For All.” UEH cordially invites readers to look forward to the next UEH Research Insights newsletter.

News, photos: Authors, UEH Department of Communications and Partnerships

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