An application of relevance theory to the analysis of L2 interpretation processes: The comprehension of indirect replies NAOKO TAGUCHI IRAL 40 (2002), 151–176 0019042X/2002/040-0151 c Walter de Gruyter Abstract This study applied relevance theory to second language research by analyz- ing L2 learners’ inferential ability in comprehending conversational implica- tures. Eight Japanese students of English in two proficiency levels took a lis- tening test consisting of 22 short dialogues. In the experimental dialogues, the speaker’s reply which appeared at the end violated Grice’s (1975) relevance maxim and did not provide a direct response to the question. An introspective verbal interview was conducted after each item to allow the researcher to in- terrogate learners’ thought processes and to identify specific strategies used during comprehension. The results showed that, regardless of proficiency dif- ferences, learners were able to seek relevance of the speaker’s implied meaning based on context. Paralinguistic cues and the rule of adjacency pair were com- mon inferencing strategies. Less proficient learners relied more on background knowledge and key word inferencing. Proficient learners identified more fre- quently the speaker’s intended purpose of using an implicature. 1. Introduction 1 With the emergence of the model of communicative competence (Canale and Swain 1980) and communicative language ability (Bachman 1990; Bachman and Palmer 1996), second language (L2) learning is no longer viewed as mas- tery of grammatical forms alone. Acquisition of functional control of the forms has come to be regarded as an indispensable aspect of L2 learning. Thus, pragmatic competence, the ability to convey and interpret meaning in context, forms a distinct component of communicative ability. What is important about meaning interpretation, from a pragmatic point of view, is understanding what the speaker intends to accomplish in making the utterances. A key aspect of pragmatic competence is the ability to recognize speaker intention, even when it is implicit and covert, and to make accurate inferences about speakers’ com- municative goals. Brought to you by | Carnegie Mellon University Authenticated | 128.237.144.201 Download Date | 1/28/13 12:41 AM