The Effects of Pragmatic Difficulties on EFL Learners’ Performance in Understanding Academic Texts

Abstract

This study aims at focusing on investigating the effects of pragmatic difficulties on EFL learners’ performance in understanding academic texts. The current study identifies the nature of these problems and examines their effects on the general performance of the students. The researcher used descriptive analytical methods to achieve the study’s objectives. A four- question test has been given to forty students at Omdurman Islamic University and questionnaire to twenty English language teachers at some Sudanese universities. The data obtained has been analysed through SPSS programme and the results have been submitted to this study. The analysis of both the test and questionnaire proved that EFL learners encounter a number of pragmatic difficulties affecting their performance while dealing with academic texts, and pragmatics is not adequately covered in university syllabus. These obstacles are results of many issues which among them; that EFL learners are not exposed to pragmatics or the realization of its significant aspects in academic texts. In such situation; the study strongly recommended that syllabus designers should include pragmatics in universities’ curriculum, and also consider students’ individual differences. Both tutor and students are advised to adopt more effective techniques and subtle strategies to deal with these issues and exert more efforts in practicing as well. The present study involved a limited number of participants in a college EFL setting in one country, Sudan and thus it will be worthwhile to explore how other student groups (ESL, other academic disciplines, other English proficiency levels) in other places would report their experiences and provide a better detailed description to their performance. Therefore, further studies need to consider replication of the current study in other settings would be beneficial