Exaggeration is a fundamental rhetorical device, first identified by Aristotle as a means of amplifying a message to make it more vivid and impactful. For Iraqi learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), the use of exaggeration presents a unique pragmatic challenge. Their native communicative style, deeply rooted in the cultural concept of "Mubalagha," which values expressive and emphatic speech, may not always align with the pragmatic expectations of English-speaking contexts. This study aimed to conduct a systematic pragmatic analysis of the exaggeration strategies employed by advanced Iraqi EFL learners. Specifically, it sought to identify the types and frequencies of these strategies, analyze their alignment with or deviation from Grice's (1975) conversational maxims, and investigate the influence of L1 cultural transfer on the learners’ performance. A descriptive-analytical research design incorporating mixed methods was employed. The participants consisted of 80 advanced (C2-level) undergraduate Iraqi EFL learners. Data were elicited using a Written Discourse Completion Task (WDCT) containing ten situational prompts designed to encourage exaggerative responses. The collected data were subjected to qualitative content analysis to categorize strategies, followed by quantitative frequency analysis and a systematic analysis against the Gricean maxims of Quality, Quantity, Relation, and Manner. The results revealed a clear preference for high-intensity strategies, with Hyperbole (40.0%) and Intensifiers & Emphatic Expressions (24.2%) being the most dominant. The analysis of Gricean maxims demonstrated that these strategies were realized through a systematic and overt flouting of the Maxim of Quality to generate conversational implicatures of emphasis and emotional intensity. The findings strongly indicated that the learners’ strategy choices and intensity levels were profoundly shaped by the pragmatic transfer of the L1 Iraqi Arabic cultural script of "Mubalagha." This study has important implications for both theory and teaching, highlighting the need for EFL instruction to move beyond traditional grammar and focus on developing sociopragmatic and intercultural awareness.
