Semantic-pragmatic Discourse Analysis in English Teaching

Abstract

This paper presents the outcomes of a research work about the use of the Semantic-Pragmatic Discourse Analysis in the English language learning seen from the students ‘view. The objective is to reveal the opportunities the analysis offers for the development of the listening and speaking skills in students from the pre-universities "Federico Engels” of Pinar del Río, Cuba.  Methods of the theoretical level like systematization and analysis were used as well as methods of the empirical level like: pre-experimentation and observation, in addition to the survey, and the technique of self-reflection applied to the Eleventh Grade students. In the same way, conversations and stories interesting and useful to contextualize the language and to develop the intercultural competence of the students were built up, around of which interactive tasks, mainly oral, were elaborated, which allows the discourse mastering in three dimensions: from meaning, going through pronunciation, grammar, word formation, cultural items and symbols, to the oral and written use of the language. The results show high levels of conceptualization of the Semantic-Pragmatic Discourse Analysis, the students´ participation and motivation in both the learning process and the results, as well as meaningful profits in the development of the oral skills: listening and speaking.