Language Learner Language/ Language Learning Processes
Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Paul Lennon
Summer term 2008
Presenters: M. Charles/ F. Cuthbertson/ W. Scourse
Communication Strategies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What’s meant by Communication strategies?
Groupwork/ Microteaching
Communication Strategies
Study by Haastrup/ Phillipson
Conclusion
1. What’s meant by Communication strategies?
Communication strategies are used by a learner in order to communicate in L2
and react to occurring production and reception problems during this process.
2. Communication strategies
Strategy
Describtion
Example
Translation
Literal translation of
L1 into L2
e.g. "Make the window
shut" for "Shut the
window
Language switch
import of L1 terms
into L2
e.g. "This is a very good
braten" for "This is a very
good roast"
Approximation
using a word/term
that means
approxamately the
same
e.g. "animals" for "dogs"
L1 based strategies
Word coinage
L2 / IL based
strategies
Substitution
Exemplification
Circumlocation
/Description
invent a substitute
for a unknown
word/term
substitution of one
word/term by
another
giving an example
instead of the
generally used term
e.g. "Airball" for "balloon"
e.g. "if" for "wheather"
e.g. "car" for "transport"
describing the
e.g. "bright hot ball of gas
intended meaning of
in space" for "sun"
a term
Cooperative
Strategies
Restructuring
restructuring of a
e.g. "I don't think that's
phrase to bipass the comic… er That isn't
problem
funny."
Help from outside
Learner tries to
solve problem by
asking
Gesture
Non-Verbal Strategies Facial expression
Pantomime
e.g. “what is the proper
word for this?”
To fill in lexical
gaps, change the
meaning slightly or
underline an
utterance
Formal avoidance
The speaker avoids
a certain linguistic
form
e.g. “He go to school”
Functional avoidance
The speaker avoids
different types of
function
e.g. No use of
progressive in any case
Reduction Strategies
4. Study by Haastrup/ Phillipson
Research Context
- Study is part of PIF (Project in Foreign Language Pedagogy) of the English
Department of the University of Copenhagen
- PIF is concerned with describing aspects of spoken & written English of
120 Danish learners of English
Aims
- how do learners solve problems (breakdown of communication or
interruption by interlocutor) in reaching their communicative goals
 focus on achievement strategies not on reduction strategies
- do learners attending different school forms use different strategies
- are some achievement strategies of greater communicative potential than
others
Sample
- Native English speaker without any knowledge of Danish Learners (16-17
years old, except one who is a few years older)
- all had five years of English as part of compulsory schooling; at time of
interview all are in their six year and in three different schools
Structure of investigation
- A 20 minute conversation of a Danish learner of English with a native
speaker of English is videotaped
Procedure
- Investigators watched tapes (interactional data), identified communication
disruptions and made assessment whether the parties reached mutual
comprehension or not
- on the basis of this material profiles of each learners (including a general
characterization of the interview, the type of communication disruption, the
different achievement strategies used and reception problems) were made
Results
- The number of disruptions per conversation is no indicator for high or low
degree of communicative success
- Influence of native speaker is high; native speaker provoked
communicative disruptions in all interviews by incoherent questions
- Native speakers behaviour varied towards the degree to which learner
contribution was followed up
- Most learner’s frequently used L1- based strategies first
- IL- based strategy used when the native speakers elicits clarification
- No causal relationship between school type and the strategies the learners
used
- Learners from less academic school context are over- dependent on their
mother tongue
- L1- based strategies are less effective to reach the communicative goal
then IL- based ones
5.
Conclusion
-
Communicative competence
L2 Learners will apply strategies when they recognize their language is
insufficient
As many styles as there are individuals
School should teach strategies
Show the learner his own individual strategic competence
Although there have been good learners, most persons used the L1 based
strategies
So school should encourage L2 learners to use more IL strategies, than L1
strategies
According to Haastrup and Phillipson: When paraphrasing someone would
benefit the most
-
Bibliography:
Cook, V. (2001) Second language Learning and Language Teaching. Third edition.
London.
Haatruo, K. and Phillipson R. (1983); Achievment strategies in learner/native speaker
interaction in: Faerch, K. and Kasper, G. (1983) Strategies in Interlanguage
Communication. London.