CEFR Pragmatic Competence Analysis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best exemplifies an 'indirect speech act' in everyday English?
- 'Please close the window.'
- 'It's cold in here.' (Correct answer)
- 'I am cold.'
- 'What is the temperature?'
Correct answer: 'It's cold in here.'
'It's cold in here' functions as an indirect request to close the window, conveying more than its literal propositional meaning.
Question 2: According to CEFR descriptors, at which level can learners typically 'understand a wide range of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms, appreciating register shifts'?
- A2
- B1
- B2
- C1 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: C1
C1 descriptors include comprehension of idiomatic expressions and sensitivity to register shifts, reflecting advanced pragmatic awareness.
Question 3: Which Gricean maxim is violated when a speaker deliberately gives more information than required?
- Maxim of Quality
- Maxim of Quantity (Correct answer)
- Maxim of Relation
- Maxim of Manner
Correct answer: Maxim of Quantity
The Maxim of Quantity requires contributions to be as informative as required but not more, so over-informing violates this maxim.
Question 4: A learner consistently uses formal language with peers and casual language with teachers. This reflects a problem in:
- Phonological competence
- Register appropriacy (Correct answer)
- Syntactic accuracy
- Lexical retrieval
Correct answer: Register appropriacy
Register appropriacy — matching the level of formality to the social situation and relationship — is a core component of pragmatic and sociolinguistic competence.
Question 5: In CEFR terms, 'functional competence' refers to a learner's ability to:
- Produce grammatically well-formed sentences
- Use language to perform communicative functions such as requesting or narrating (Correct answer)
- Understand cultural references in texts
- Decode phonemes accurately
Correct answer: Use language to perform communicative functions such as requesting or narrating
Functional competence in CEFR covers the ability to use language to accomplish real communicative purposes like requesting, apologizing, or explaining.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of 'pragmatic failure' rather than a grammatical error?
- Saying 'She go to school' instead of 'She goes to school'
- Responding 'Yes, I do' to 'Could you pass the salt?' without passing it (Correct answer)
- Mispronouncing 'vegetable' as 'vegtable'
- Writing 'their' instead of 'there'
Correct answer: Responding 'Yes, I do' to 'Could you pass the salt?' without passing it
Interpreting 'Could you pass the salt?' literally (as a yes/no question) rather than as a request is a classic pragmatic failure.
Question 7: When CEFR descriptors mention 'repair strategies,' they refer to a speaker's ability to:
- Correct grammatical errors in writing
- Handle communication breakdowns and clarify misunderstandings (Correct answer)
- Improve pronunciation accuracy
- Expand vocabulary through context clues
Correct answer: Handle communication breakdowns and clarify misunderstandings
Repair strategies are pragmatic tools for addressing and resolving communication breakdowns, such as asking for clarification or rephrasing.
CEFR Pragmatic Competence Analysis 3
Which of the following best exemplifies an 'indirect speech act' in everyday English?