Comprehension of presupposition by Yemeni EFL Students

Abstract

This study investigated the comprehension of presuppositions among Yemeni EFL university students, examining their ability to understand different types of presuppositions and identifying the most challenging areas. The research employed a quantitative approach, utilizing a multiple-choice test administered to 261 participants from six Yemeni universities (three public and three private). Eight distinct types of presuppositions were tested: quantifier, emotive factive, iterative verb, cognitive factive, iterative adverb, temporal clause, counterfactual conditional, and possessive presuppositions. The findings revealed a moderate overall comprehension rate of 68.9%, with significant variations across presupposition types. Analysis of demographic variables showed that age was more influential than gender in presupposition comprehension, with younger learners (25-30 age group) performing better. Institutional differences were also observed, though the variation between public and private universities was minimal. The study's findings suggest the need for explicit instruction in presupposition comprehension, particularly focusing on more challenging types like cognitive factives and quantifiers. The results contribute to understanding pragmatic competence development in the Yemeni EFL context and have implications for curriculum design and teaching methodology in similar EFL environments.