The Effect of Role Play on Pragmatic Competence among Male and Female Iranian EFL Learners

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the effects of role play on pragmatics competence among male and female Iranian EFL learners. To do so, 40 undergraduate university students (15 male and 25 female) majoring in English at Karaj Azad university were selected based on Nelson proficiency test (Fowler & Coe, 1976) that was used in order to select the sample out of the population of 90 students who agreed to take part in the study. Based on the results, 40 high intermediate students were selected as the sample of the study. They formed two mixed groups (male and female role play group A, male and female conversation group B). The instruction took place; group A did role play, and group B did conversation followed by free discussion techniques. Having finished the treatment, the two groups took the similar posttest. The results show the positive effect of role-play on increasing pragmatic competence among the intended sample.