The effect of explicit instruction on comprehension and production of discourse formulas

This study investigates the impact of explicit instruction on the comprehension and production of discourse formulas among L2 Russian learners. Discourse formulas, as fixed expressions with pragmatic functions, present challenges for learners due to their non-compositional meaning and language specificity. The study focuses on the effectiveness of an online course Kak skažeš’, which offers corpus-referred instructional materials designed to enhance learners’ pragmatic competence.

The research involved 29 students divided into an experimental group, which completed the course, and a control group, which did not receive any explicit instruction. Participants were assessed through pre-, post-, and delayed post-tests that evaluated their recognition, comprehension, and production of discourse formulas. Results indicated a significant improvement in the experimental group’s ability to recognize and comprehend the target formulas, with gains sustained over time. However, production proved to be more challenging, with only moderate progress observed. The study highlights the need for further research into enhancing productive competence in teaching discourse formulas.