10.57647/JNTELL.2025.0404.21

Enhancing Pragmatic Competence in Iranian EFL Learners: The Impact of Conversation Tasks Across Gender Using a Clinical Elicitation Approach

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  • Shabnam Pasban,
  • Ramin Rahimy*1,
  • Valeh Valipour1,
  1. Department of English Language, To.C., Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon, Iran

Received: 2025-09-15

Revised: 2025-10-25

Accepted: 2025-11-26

Published in Issue 2025-12-31

Copyright (c) 2025 Shabnam Pasban, Ramin Rahimy, Valeh Valipour (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Pasban, S., Rahimy, R., & Valipour, V. (2025). Enhancing Pragmatic Competence in Iranian EFL Learners: The Impact of Conversation Tasks Across Gender Using a Clinical Elicitation Approach. Journal of New Trends in English Language Learning (JNTELL), 4(4). https://doi.org/10.57647/JNTELL.2025.0404.21
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Abstract

This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of conversation task-based instruction on the pragmatic competence of Iranian upper-intermediate EFL learners, with attention to gender differences. Fifty-eight learners were assigned to experimental (task-based instruction) and control (conventional instruction) groups. Pragmatic competence was measured via discourse completion tasks across appropriateness, politeness, and fluency. ANCOVA analyses showed that the experimental group achieved significantly greater gains in all dimensions of pragmatic competence compared to the control group, after controlling for pretest scores. A two-way ANOVA revealed that female learners consistently reached higher adjusted posttest scores than males; however, conversation task-based instruction was equally effective across genders, with no significant interaction effect. These findings confirm the robust, gender-neutral impact of conversation tasks on developing pragmatic competence in EFL contexts, supporting their integration into language teaching curricula for sustained sociopragmatic growth.

Keywords

  • Conversation Tasks,
  • Pragmatic Competence,
  • Gender Differences,
  • Clinical Elicitation Approach
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