Beyond Grammar, the Pragmatics of Questions in the ESL/EFL Classroom

The pragmatic functions of questions in second and/or foreign language (SL/FL) instruction are often overlooked even though they are an integral part of classroom discourse. Aside eliciting information, questions serve important interactional and relational roles. This paper explores the socio-pragmatic dimensions of question types, drawing on insights from second language acquisition, intercultural pragmatics, and classroom discourse studies. It critiques existing FL/SL textbooks and syllabuses for their limited focus on pragmatic competence and advocates pedagogical strategies that combine explicit instruction, awareness-raising tasks, and CEFR-aligned (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) descriptors. Taking samples from 30 naturally collected classroom questions, the article proposes pragmatics-informed evaluation practices that emphasise communicative appropriateness over structural accuracy in language teaching.