Native and Nonnative Speakers' Pragmatic Interpretations of English Texts

Abstract

in the U.S. academic environment. The study compares nativespeaker (NS) and nonnative-speaker (NNS) evaluations of four short essays, two written by NSs and two by advanced ESL learners. In terms commonly used in the teaching of L2 academic writing (e.g. a text's purpose and audience, specificity, clarity, and adequate support), there was little similarity between NS and NNSjudgment. The effects of this disparity on L2 learners' pragmatic interpretations and practical applications of L2 writing conventions are examined and pedagogical implications are discussed.