مشخصات پژوهش

In the era of globalization, effective communication in a second language extends beyond grammatical proficiency to include intercultural and pragmatic competence. English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners must navigate not only linguistic structures but also the cultural and pragmatic dimensions of communication. Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) has emerged as a key factor in enabling learners to engage meaningfully in cross-cultural interactions (Byram, 1997). Similarly, pragmatic competence—the ability to use language appropriately in context—plays a crucial role in effective communication (Taguchi, 2019). Within this domain, listening pragmatic comprehension, which involves interpreting implied meanings, indirect speech acts, and culturally embedded discourse features, is a critical yet underexplored aspect of second language acquisition (Roever, 2011). Despite the growing emphasis on ICC and pragmatic competence in language education, research on their interplay with listening pragmatic comprehension remains scarce, particularly in the Iraqi EFL context. While previous studies have investigated the role of ICC in general language proficiency (Deardorff, 2006; Fantini, 2020, 2021), fewer have examined its specific influence on pragmatic comprehension. Moreover, pragmatic competence has been widely studied in terms of production (e.g., speech acts and politeness strategies) but less so in terms of comprehension, particularly in listening (Taguchi, 2015). Given that listening is a fundamental mode of communication in real-life interactions, understanding how ICC and pragmatic competence contribute to pragmatic comprehension in listening is essential for enhancing pedagogical approaches in EFL education. EFL learners often struggle with understanding implied meanings, indirect speech acts, and cultural nuances in spoken English. This challenge is particularly pronounced among Iraqi EFL learners, who have limited exposure to authentic intercultural co