Developing pragmatic competence in a study abroad context

Study abroad is a global phenomenon, with individuals all over the world increasingly spending part of their studies in another country. Since its beginnings in the later years of the last century, there has been an explosion of research on the development of second language pragmatic competence in a study abroad context. The present chapter seeks to synthesise the research conducted to date by presenting a systematic meta-analysis of empirical studies conducted on the development of second language pragmatic competence in a study abroad context. To this aim, a sample of 49 publications is reviewed. Trends in research design, levels of analysis and informant characteristics are sketched and gaps in these areas highlighted. The discussion of findings highlights different development paths and variability in outcomes and investigates the explanatory potential of studies on context, individual differences and learner agency in relation to these variable findings. The chapter closes by highlighting research desiderata and posing further research questions.