Teachers’ pragmatic awareness in multilingual educational settings: A phenomenological study across six Sub-Saharan African countries

Despite growing recognition of pragmatic dimensions in education, there remains a significant gap in understanding teachers’ lived experiences in multilingual African educational contexts. This phenomenological study investigates how public school mainstream teachers develop and apply pragmatic awareness in intercultural classrooms across Sub-Saharan Africa, where diverse cultural norms, linguistic practices, and communicative expectations intersect. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve teachers from six countries (Cameroon, Tanzania, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Senegal, and South Africa), representing diverse linguistic backgrounds and educational contexts. The findings reveal how teachers navigate complex pragmatic landscapes, make sense of intercultural communication challenges, and develop contextually appropriate strategies. These strategies encompass instructional approaches that address pragmatic differences, relational practices that build rapport across linguistic boundaries, and reflective techniques that transform challenges into learning opportunities. The results show how critical incidents serve as catalysts for developing deeper pragmatic understanding, while professional identity shapes and is shaped by pragmatic choices in multilingual environments. The study suggests implications for teacher education programs, language policies, and curriculum development in multilingual educational contexts, contributing to the understanding of pragmatic awareness in educational settings where colonial languages intersect with indigenous languages.