ABSTRACT
This chapter brings together the various lines of discussion of research methods in L2 pragmatics, including the importance of choosing the right data collection tools to answer research questions on receptive and productive L2 pragmatic skills. It emphasizes the various second language acquisition theories that are available for L2 pragmatics researchers and underscores the importance of investigating L2 speakers’ pragmatic competence during interaction. The chapter also highlights the importance of keeping in step with developments in pragmatics generally, and of utilizing mixed-methods combining quantitative and qualitative, data-driven approaches to afford a more holistic view of the pragmatic phenomena. Finally, it makes a call for longitudinal pragmatic studies and encourages researchers to try innovative data collection tools that are used not only in the field of applied linguistics but also in other fields.
