本书是在作者的博士论文基础上修改而成的。在中介语语用学(Interlanguage Pragmatics)理论指导下，研究母语为汉语的学习者英语语用能力习得的特点和规律以及影响二语语用习得的因素。本书通过横向设计调查不同英语水平的学习者产生的英语“请求”言语行为语篇并分别与英、汉语本族语者语料进行比较发现：不同语言水平的学习者的语用能力处于不同的发展阶段，其“请求”言语行为体现出不同的中介语特征。

本书在中介语语用学(Interlanguage Pragmatics)理论指导下，研究母语为汉语的学习者英语语用能力习得的特点和规律。采取横向设计，收集不同英语水平的学习者产生的英语“请求”言语行为语篇并分别与英、汉语本族语者语料进行比较发现：不同语言水平的学习者的语用能力处于不同的发展阶段，其“请求”言语行为体现出不同的中介语特征。除语言水平外，学习者二语语用能力的习得过程受母语语用迁移、课堂教学中的语用输入等因素的影响。本研究的发现对语用教学的大纲制定和教学过程具有一定的指导作用。

Chapter One Introduction

 1.1 Research background

 1.2 Significance of the present study

 1.3 Organization of the book

Chapter Two Acquisitional Issues in Interlanguage Pragnmtics

 2.1 Pragmatic competence

2.1.1 Communicative competence

2.1.2 A working definition of pragmatic competence

 2.2 The definition and scope of Interlanguage Pragmatics (ILP)

 2.3 The theoretical perspectives of L2 pragmatic acquisition

2.3.1 Cognitive processing

2.3.2 Relevance theory (RT)

2.3.3 The complexification hypothesis

 2.4 Factors influencing L2 pragmatic acquisition

2.4.1 Classroom instruction

2.4.2 Pragmatic transfer

2.4.3 Grammatical competence

 2.5 Methodology in doing acquisitional research

2.5.1 Developmental research designs

2.5.2 Data collection instruments

 2 6 Summary

Chapter Three Studies on the Speech Act of Requests

 3.1 Definition and taxonomy of requests

3.1.1 Defining requests

3.1.2 A taxonomy o{ requests

 3.2 Illocutionary aspects of requests

3.2.1 Request strategies

3.2.2 Internal modification (IM)

3.2.3 External modification (EM)

 3.3 Studies on the speech act of requests

3.3.1 Cross-cultural research on requests

3.3.2 Developmental research on requests

3.3.3 Studies on requests by Chinese researchers

 3.4 Summary

Chapter Four Research Design

 4.1 Research questions

 4.2 Informants

4.2.1 Criteria in selecting informants

4.2.2 Learner informants

4.2.3 Native informants

 4 3 Research instruments

4.3.1 Background questionnaire

4.3.2 Developing request scenarios

4.3.3 The production questionnaire and sociopragrnatic assessment questionnaire

 4.4 Data collection

 4.5 Data analysis framework

4.5.1 Request strategies

4.5.2 Internal modification

4.5.3 External modification

4.5.4 Procedures of data analysis

 4.6 Summary

Chapter Five Data Analysis and Discussion

 5.1 Request strategies

5.1.1 Total number of strategies

5.1.2 Directness

5.1.3 Conventional indirectness

5.1.4 Non-conventional indirectness (Hints)

5.1.5 Combination o{ individual strategies

5.1.6 Opting out

5.1.7 Summary and discussion of request strategies

 5 2 Internal modification

5.2.1 Overall performance of internal modification

5.2.2 Syntactic downgraders

5.2.3 Lexical/phrasal downgraders

5.2.4 Upgraders

5.2.5 Combination of IM

5.2.6 Zero IM

5.2.7 Summary and discussion of internal modification

 5.3 External modification

5.3.1 Overall performance o{ supportive moves

5.3.2 Employment of supportive moves by situation

5.3.3 Summary and discussion of external modification

 5.4 Situational variation in requesting behavior

5.4.1 Soeiopregmatic assessment questionnaire

5.4.2 Assessment of social parameters across groups

5.4.3 Assessment of social parameters across situations

5.4.4 Perception of social parameters and choice of request strategies

5.4.5 Sunmmary and discussion of sociopragmatic competence

 5.5 The effect of L1 pragmatic transfer on L2 request acquisition

5.5.1 Request strategies and L1 influence

5.5.2 Internal modification and L1 influence

5.5.3 External modification and L1 influence

5.5.4 Summary of transfer effect

 5.6 Summary: Overall developmental features of English requests

Chapter Six The Role of Instruction in L2 Pragmatic Development

 6.1 Negative effect of instruction on L2 pragmatic development

6.1.1 Metapragmatic input

6.1.2 Classroom discourse

6.1.3 Grammar-oriented Pedagogy

 6.2 Need for instruction of L2 pragmatics

6.2.1 Curricula

6.2.2 Teaching materials

6.2.3 Instruction of L2 speech acts

 6.3 Summary

Chapter Seven Conclusion

 7.1 Summary of findings

 7.2 Factors influencing L2 pragmatic development

 7.3 Limitations of the present study and directions for future research

References

Appendix 1 Questionnaire for Chinese learners

Appendix 2 Questionnaire for Chinese native speakers

Appendix 3 Questionnaire for English native speakers