Examining the Oral Communication Strategies Used by a Group of Nepalese Adult Learners in an ESL Context

Brendalyn Agtarap Manzano

Abstract


This paper sought to examine the oral communication strategies (CSs) used by a group of Nepalese adult learners in an oral task in an ESL context. There has been a long history of CS studies in L2 acquisition research; however, there are no studies yet reporting the CSs employed by Nepalese learners in an ESL context. Hence, six Nepalese learners with intermediate language proficiency were engaged in a picture storytelling task. Their narrations were recorded and transcribed, and their responses during the interview were elicited. Four significant results were revealed. Firstly, the Nepalese learners experienced a considerable amount of communication difficulties as manifested by various gap markers. To overcome these problems, the learners simultaneously used a variety of non-verbal CSs alongside verbal CSs. Secondly, linguistic errors were abound in their narrations but were ignored due to their communication goal. Hence, there are areas of communication (e.g., vocabulary and sentence structure) where the learners were having trouble, and these concerns should require instructional attention. Thirdly, the majority of the verbal CSs were avoidance strategies while most of the non-verbal CSs were achievement strategies. Lastly, examining the CSs used by the learners paved the way to culture-based strategies that were employed during storytelling. These CSs provided new inputs to the existing CS frameworks used by English language learners. Implications for language teaching and learning as well as future research are discussed.

 

Keywords: oral communication; communication strategies; gap markers; Nepalese adult learners in an ESL context; culture-based strategies


Full Text:

PDF

References


Barrot, J. S. (2014). Combining isolated and integrated form-focused instruction: Effects on productive skills. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 27(3), 278–293.

Barrot, J. (2015). A sociocognitive-transformative approach to teaching writing. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 4(2), 113–122.

Bialystok, E. (1990). Communication strategies: A psychological analysis of second language use. Oxford: Blackwell.

Brown, H. D. (1994). Principles of language learning and teaching (6th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Dörnyei, Z. (1995). On the teachability of communication strategies. TESOL Quarterly, 29(1), 55–85.

Dörnyei, Z. & Thurrell, S. (1994). Teaching conversational skills

intensively: Course content and rationale. ELT Journal, 48(1), 40–49.

Ellis, R. (2015). Understanding second language acquisition (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

Faerch, C. & Kasper, G. (1983). On identifying communication strategies in interlanguage production. In Faerch, C. & Kasper, G. (Eds.), Strategies in Interlanguage Communication (pp. 210–238). London: Longman.

Faerch, C. & Kasper, G. (1984). Two ways of defining communication strategies. Language Learning, 34(1), 45–63.

Faerch, C. & Kasper, G. (1986). Strategic competence in foreign language teaching. In Kasper, G. (Ed.), Learning, Teaching, and Communication in the Foreign Language Classroom (pp. 179–193). Aarhus: Aarhus University Press.

Hashim, F., Soopar, A. A. & Hamid, B. A. (2017). Linguistic features of Malaysian students’ online communicative language in an academic setting: The case of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Akademika, 87(1), 231-242.

Hua, T. K., Nor, N. F. M., & Jaradat, M. N. (2012). Communication strategies among EFL students: An examination of the frequency of use and types of strategies used. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 12(3), 831–848.

Idrus, H. (2017). Can oral communication strategies help improve oral presentation skills? Advanced Science Letters, 23(8), 7682–7685.

Jourdain, S. (2000). A native-like ability to circumlocute. The Modern Language Journal, 84(2), 185–195.

Krings, H. P. (1986). Translation problems and translation strategies of advanced German learners of French. In House, J. & Blum-Kulka, S. (Eds.), Interlingual and Intercultural Communication (pp. 263–275). Tubingen: Gunter Narr.

Lennon, P. (1990). Investigating fluency in EFL: A qualitative approach. Language Learning, 40 (3), 387–417.

Littlemore, J. (2001). An empirical study of the relationship between cognitive style and the use of communication strategy. Applied Linguistics, 22 (2), 241–265.

Liu, J. (2010). Language learning strategies and its training model. International Education Studies, 3(3), 100–104.

Maleki, A. (2007). Teachability of communication strategies: An Iranian

experience. System, 35(4), 583–594.

Maleki, A. (2010). Techniques to teach communication strategies. Journal

of Language Teaching and Research, 1(5), 640–646.

Mei, A. & Nathalang, S. (2010). Use of communication strategies by Chinese EFL learners. Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics, 33(3), 110–125.

Mirzaei, A. & Heidari, N. (2012). Exploring the use of oral communication strategies by (non) fluent L2 speakers. The Journal of AsiaTEFL, 9(3), 131–156.

Nakatani, Y. (2005). The effects of awareness‐raising training on oral communication strategy use. The Modern Language Journal, 89(1), 76–91.

Nakatani, Y. (2006). Developing an oral communication strategy inventory. The Modern Language Journal, 90(2), 151–168.

Nakatani, Y. (2010). Identifying strategies that facilitate EFL learners’ oral communication: A classroom study using multiple data collection procedures. The Modern Language Journal, 94(1), 116–136.

Padillo, E. E. (2001, March). Communication strategies employed by upper secondary ESL learners. Working paper, College of Languages, Linguistics, and Literature, Philippine Normal University, Manila, Philippines.

Rahmani Doqaruni, V. (2015). A critical look at communication strategies: Possibilities for future research. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 9(2), 130–142.

Razmjou, L. & Ghazi, J. A. (2013). Listening practice influence on the use of communication strategies in oral translation. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 3(9), 1645–1650.

Shih, Y. C. (2014). Communication strategies in a multimodal virtual communication context. System, 42, 34–47.

Smith, B. (2003). The use of communication strategies in computer-mediated communication. System, 31(1), 29–53.

Tarone, E. (1980). Communication strategies, foreigner talk, and repair in interlanguage. Language Learning, 30, 417–431.

Tarone, E. (1981). Some thoughts on the notion of communication strategy. TESOL Quarterly, 15(3), 285–295.

Wannaruk, A. (2003). Communication strategies employed by EST students. Studies in Language and Language Teaching, 12, 1–18.

Yaman, Ş. & Özcan, M. (2015). Oral communication strategies used by Turkish students learning English as a foreign language. In Pawlak, M. & Waniek-Klimczak, E. (Eds.), Issues in Teaching, Learning, and Testing Speaking in a Second Language (pp. 143-158). New York: Springer.

Zulkurnain, N. & Kaur, S. (2014). Oral English communication difficulties and coping strategies of Diploma of Hotel Management Students at UiTM. 3L: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 20(3), 93-112.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/3L-2018-2401-07

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


 

 

 

eISSN : 2550-2247

ISSN : 0128-5157