What kind of SIG is it?
The JALT Pragmatics SIG was formed in 1999, and currently has a stable membership of well over 100. We are honored to have several internationally well-known experts in the field on our roll. The group is greatly indebted to Dr Gabriele Kasper of the University of Hawaii, who played an instrumental role in nurturing the group when it was first formed, and continues to participate in the group’s activities.
The Pragmatics SIG is quite an active group. Every year at the annual JALT conference the SIG offers a forum, colloquia, as well as many individual presentations related to the field of Pragmatics. For the past four years the Pragmatics SIG has co-sponsored the Pan-SIG Conferences along with other SIGs (Bilingual SIG, CUE, Learner Development and the Testing and Evaluation SIG). The Pragmatics SIG has participated in the annual CALL conference as well. In addition, the group has co-sponsored the Temple University Applied Linguistics Forum held in February, and Prag SIG members are usually very involved in the publication of the Proceedings. Occasionally there have been special lectures sponsored by the Pragmatics SIG featuring experts in the field.
What can we offer?
The Pragmatics SIG is very proud of its newsletter, Pragmatic Matters, which is published three times annually. It offers the latest in research-oriented topics as well as practically oriented articles. Regular features in the newsletter include: People Watch, Conference Watch, Web Watch, Conference Report Watch, Materials Watch and Journal Watch. The newsletter welcomes articles related to Pragmatics, so take advantage of this opportunity.
This SIG is committed to:
1) helping those who are new to the field become more familiar with the area,
2) enabling those who are already familiar with it to become more informed and to keep up with
the latest in the field,
3) providing networking and professional development opportunities to all members, and
4) encouraging the exchange of useful information for the benefit of all.
What can everyone look forward to?
The Pragmatics SIG is happy to announce that it has been awarded a grant for the publication of a book on Pragmatics. The tentative title is Pragmatics in Language Learning: Theory and Practice and the submission deadline is August 31, 2004. The group is excited about this new project and invites current members as well as those who are thinking about joining the SIG to get involved.
As more and more people are realizing the value of Pragmatics both in and out of the classroom, we expect that the SIG will continue to grow and make valuable contributions to language education. Join us.
