Abstract

The current study examines the pragmatic knowledge of the students in a pre-service English teacher education program at the State Islamic Institute of Palopo. Employing quantitative research, this study was directed to measure the pre-service teaching students’ pragmatic knowledge and competence by assessing their requests (R) and apologies (A) productions. There were twenty-two seventh-semester students who participated in the study. Applying discourse completion task questions, the study found that the students’ pragmatic competence on request and apology varied in terms of its appropriateness. From the total number of utterances produced by the students, there was a slightly different number between appropriate request and apology. The power and social distance status between the participants and interlocutors affect responses. The study also revealed that the frequency of students’ appropriate request and apology responses were high when they were in an equal social position or power rank, and in social hierarchical situations.