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Abstract Abstract: Although the Third Place Theory (Kramsch, 1993; 2009) has often been employed as the framework to interpret learners’ language use and subjectivity, it has not attracted L2 Pragmatics researchers’ attention. Through an ethnographic case study, this study is among the first to apply the theory to track two Mainland Chinese students’ pragmatic competence and subjectivity over two years, who chose to further their doctoral studies in Hong Kong SAR. Based on data collected via open role-plays, stimulated recalls and ethnographic interviews/observations, the study explored the dynamic and multi-facet relationships between learners’ L2 pragmatic performance and user subjectivity. The findings revealed that learners’ pragmatic production was characterized by a certain degree of subjectivity; the choice of conformity or resistance to pragmatic norms depended to some extent on various factors, including the language community and language use, cultural identity and plans for the future. Furthermore, L2 users created a unique “third pragmatic place” of their own in a multilingual environment. The study sheds light on L2 pragmatic instruction and calls for more research attention to the application of the “Third Place” theory in future.
Key words: third place; requests; subjectivity; pragmatic competence; pragmatic production
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