ABSTRACT
Tests of pragmatic ability have not tended to find their way intothe classroom. Even recently, the view has been expressed that before classroom assessment of pragmatics can be implemented, there is first
a need to further develop theories of communicative competence and com-
municative language teaching and a commensurate need to conduct more
empirical investigations.1 In our view, the need for more theoretical devel-
opment and empirical investigation is not a reason for avoiding classroom
assessment of pragmatics, especially given its demonstrable value. So let us
consider why:
that their ability to be pragmatically appropriate in the comprehension
and production of language in different sociocultural situations is
valued or even advantageous.
