Communicative Competence in Multilingual ESL Classrooms: Effects of Plurilingual Pedagogy on Pragmatic Competence with AI-Light Implementation Pathways

Abstract

This paper reports a focused analysis from an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study investigating whether a plurilingual pedagogy can strengthen ESL learners' pragmatic communicative competence, conceptualised as context-appropriate speech-act realisation and interactional management. Using a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design, 120 Grade 11 learners from two public higher secondary schools were assigned to either the experimental condition (plurilingual instruction) or the control condition (traditional instruction). Pragmatic outcomes were assessed with a multimedia discourse completion task (DCT) targeting English requests and with student–student role plays rated using interactional-pragmatic descriptors. ANCOVA controlling for pretest scores showed a significant group effect on the request DCT, F  (1, 117) = 10.71, p = .001, η_p² = .085, and on the role-play measure, F (1, 117) = 6.33, p = .013, η_p² = .052. Interviews with stakeholders (n = 12) suggested that cross-linguistic comparison of politeness norms, L1-supported planning, and repeated role-play rehearsal reduced anxiety and increased awareness of power, distance, and imposition. The paper outlines feasible "AI-light" practices such as teacher-in-the-loop use of generative AI and translation tools for scenario drafting, exemplar creation, and feedback prompts aligned with emerging guidance on responsible educational AI use.