Thesis (MA) - Cyprus International University. Institute of Graduate Studies and Research English Language Teaching

Learners of a foreign language must interact correctly in the target language,
necessitating a level of pragmatic competence and an understanding of linguistic forms
and functions. The process of acquiring a new language extends much beyond the mere
act of memorizing its vocabulary. Students will likely encounter initial difficulties in
comprehending the semantic nuances of individual words and after that struggle with
the retention and appropriate usage of said words. For an extended period, children in
Libya have been deprived of the opportunity to receive standard educational services.
When someone engages in verbal communication, they participate in what is known as
a "speech act," which encompasses many types of communicative actions such as
apologies, requests, or compliments. This research examines the pragmatic competence
of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students in Libya. This research looked at three
areas of pragmatics—speech actions, implicatures, and pragmatic routines—to gauge
students' pragmatic competence and examine whether or not their cultural backgrounds
affected their linguistic agility. Data was collected using a multiple-choice discourse
completion task (MDCT). The contexts consist of the classification of speech acts by
Searle theory and three main categories of compliment such as skill, possession, and
personality characteristics used in the study. 250 students in the College of Arts English
department participated in the research. The results of the study also show that Libya's
culture has an impact on the pragmatic skills of EFL students. In conclusion, some
implications for the classroom were offered to increase and enhance students' pragmatic
awareness and comprehension among those learning English as a foreign language.