Empirical Pragmatics and Normativity Deficit: The Contribution of Universal Pragmatics to Foreign Language Education

Abstract

In this article, on the basis of Habermas’ universal pragmatics, we have tried to indicate that empirical pragmatics in linguistics, suffers from ‘normativity deficit’ in the field of foreign language education. What we mean by ‘normativity deficit’, is the lack of normative resources required for judging the validity claims inherent in social interactions. Since agreement on the validity claims is fundamental for reaching mutual understanding and establishing linguistic communications, empirical-pragmatic approach, due to its ‘normativity deficit’ would not be able to give proper moral-educational thread to the field of foreign language education.

Keywords

• empirical pragmatics
• universal pragmatics
• normativity deficit
• communicative language education