Reconceptualizing pragmatic competence in ELT: An ELF-aware framework for materials analysis and adaptation

Abstract

Traditional approaches to pragmatic competence in English language teaching have emphasized conformity to native-speaker norms from Inner Circle Englishes, an orientation that proves inadequate for English as a lingua franca (ELF) contexts where communicative success depends on interactional flexibility, accommodation and negotiation rather than adherence to fixed standards. This study addresses this gap by operationalizing a reconceptualization of pragmatic competence through the ELF-Aware Materials Checklist, a criterion-referenced tool that enables teachers to critically evaluate and adapt materials for global English contexts. The framework is structured around three interconnected components − awareness of language and language use, awareness of instructional practices and awareness of learning − each examined through four universal criteria of authenticity, variety, relevance and reflection. The study investigates how the Checklist functions as both a pedagogical and professional development tool by addressing two research questions: how Checklist-informed lessons promote learners’ pragmatic awareness for global communication; and how engagement with the Checklist supports teachers in understanding ELF-awareness, evaluating materials and designing ELF-aware lessons. Through a multi-stage, exploratory mixed-methods design conducted in a Greek secondary education setting, one experienced teacher redesigned a listening−speaking lesson on social media, replacing scripted native speaker monologues with authentic non-native speaker interactions featuring accommodation strategies, translanguaging and natural discourse features. Findings demonstrate that Checklist-informed lessons promote pragmatic awareness through sustained cycles of noticing discourse features, underlying norms, and learners' own communicative agency, reframing pragmatic competence as an interactionally achieved capacity rather than native-like correctness. For teachers, the Checklist facilitates critical examination of materials, supports rethinking instructional practices, and empowers pedagogical ownership while remaining grounded in established scholarship and current research. The study demonstrates that rather than replacing established principles, the framework extends them by integrating ELF-awareness into familiar practices, fostering communicative capability aligned with contemporary understandings of English as a global lingua franca.