The present study examines pragmatic variation in learner perception, exploring the role of retrospective verbal report (RVR) in L2 speech act research. RVRs consist of the verbalized thought processes of participants after completion of a task and aim to provide insights into the reasoning behind learners’ written or spoken behaviors during language production (Gass & Mackey 2000). The RVR data for the present study were elicited at the final stage of an eight-month longitudinal investigation of the speech act development of graduate learners at a UK higher education institution (Woodfield 2011). Results of the study regarding the value of RVRs and learners’ metapragmatic awareness are discussed together with implications for employing such methodology in ILP research.