ABSTRACT
The concept of pragmatic awareness has become fully part of the literature on second language (L2) pragmatics. Pragmatic awareness was seen as a precursor to pragmatic competence, and one which instruction could promote. Pragmatic awareness as an instructional goal not only has the advantage of encouraging learners to identify their own pragmatic targets, but it also has the advantage of allowing learners to make informed decisions about whether to pursue L2 pragmatics. The literature dealing with pragmatic awareness can be divided into three categories: pedagogical papers, tests of awareness, and instructional effect studies. Pedagogical recommendations provide explicit operationalization of awareness following Schmidt's noticing hypothesis. Developmental studies of awareness explore the claims made by the noticing hypothesis by asking what learners notice and whether that could lead to acquisition. The instructional effect studies combine pedagogical operationalization of awareness with tests of awareness and/or language production before and after instruction.
