This book contributes to the literature of interlanguage pragmatics by building an interface between researching and teaching speech acts in the Chinese context. It is written for researchers, language educators, classroom teachers and readers who are interested in interlanguage pragmatics research, acquisition and teaching, with particular reference to speech acts performed by Chinese learners of English, and their relationships with the learners' first language and cultural concepts. It provides a more advanced understanding of the production and development of speech acts of Chinese learners of English from the cross-linguistic, cross-cultural, L1 and L2 developmental perspectives, drawing on relevant second language acquisition theoretical frameworks. It also recommends research-informed pedagogies that are applicable to other learners of English.

Prologue.- Preface.- Introduction.- Contributions of the Book.- Organization of the Book.- Chapter One.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Pragmatics.- 1.3 Speech Act Competence and Development in L1 and L2.- 1.4 Teachability of L2 Speech Acts.- 1.5 Summary.- Chapter Two.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 Developing L2 Speech Act Competence.- 2.3 Researching L2 Speech Act Competence.- 2.4 Summary.- Chapter Three.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Culture and Speech Act Performance.- 3.3 Chinese Cultural Concepts for Interpersonal Communication - Limao (politeness) and Mianzi (facework).- 3.4 Influence of Chinese Cultural Norms and Language on Chinese and English Speech Act Performances.- 3.5 Summary.- Chapter Four.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Development of L2 Requests.- 4.3 Development of L2 Apologies.- 4.4 Development of L2 Compliment-responses.- 4.5 Development of L2 Refusals.- 4.6 Development of L2 Complaints.- 4.7 Trajectory of Chinese English Learners' L2 Speech Act Development.- 4.8 Summary.- Chapter Five.-5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Teaching Speech Acts: Instruction Versus Natural Exposure.- 5.3 Developing Speech Act Competence.- 5.4 What Speech Acts to Teach to Chinese Learners of English?.- 5.5 How to Develop Speech Act Competence for Chinese Learners of English? Practical Ideas and Teaching Materials.- 5.6 Summary.- Chapter Six.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Importance of Understanding Learners' L1 and L2 Speech Act Performance.- 6.3 Allowing Space for L2 Learners to Make Their Own Choices and Respect Their Decisions.- 6.4 The Ways Forward.