This paper overviews the empirical research on comprehension and production of L2 Pragmatic Competence in terms of methodology. It first discusses two major types of studies in L2 pragmatics, namely longitudinal study and cross-sectional study, the focus of the two kinds of studies as well as their respective advantages and disadvantages. Then it mainly describes cross-sectional studies in the past 20 years in terms of in terms of research content and findings, dividing the research into two categories: comprehension and production of L2 pragmatic competence. Finally, two primary methods of data collection adopted in these two categories are reviewed.
Keywords: L2 pragmatics, cross-sectional study, pragmatic competence
