Evaluating Speech Acts in English Language Teaching Software: The Case of Tell Me More

Abstract

More recently, technology-based settings such as Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) have developed amazing modern places for materials used to teach pragmatics. In terms of speech acts, one of the most fascinating conceptions of pragmatics (Eslamirasekh, 1993), no study has been focused on the presentation of speech acts in English language teaching software. This study aimed to analyze types, frequencies and distributions of speech acts presented in the dialogues of Tell Me More (version 10), a popular language learning software employed by a large number of academic institutions around the world, based on Searle's (1976) speech act taxonomy. Using descriptive research including qualitative and quantitative investigations, the results revealed that interactive dialogues of entire 10 levels of Tell Me More totally provide learners with a noticeable number of speech acts along with numerous texts, pictures or movies to explain context. The results of chi-square test also showed inequality and variation in the distribution of present speech acts, namely assertive, directive, expressive and commissive in dialogues of each level and also entire 10 levels of software. Declaration speech act was absent in dialogues of Tell Me More. The research findings have some implications for CALL material designers, language teachers and learners.