Communication Strategies

Second Language Learners’ Communication Strategies
Communication strategies refer to the use of verbal or nonverbal mechanisms to

communicate Information effectively. Faerch and Kasper (1983a, p. 36) defined
communication strategies as "potentially conscious plans for solving what to an
individual presents itself as a problem in reaching a particular communicative
goal." Perhaps the best way to understand what is meant by communication
strategy is to look at a typical list of such strategies.
1. Avoidance Strategies
Avoidance is a common communication strategy that can be broken down into
several subcategories. The most common type of avoidance strategy is syntactic
or lexical avoidance within a semantic category.
Consider the following conversation between a learner and a native speaker:
V. J lost my road.
US: You lost your road'f
V: Uh,... I lost. 1 lost. 1 got lost.
The learner avoided the lexical item road entirely, not being able to come up with
the word way at that point.
Phonological avoidance is also common, as in the case of a Japanese tennis
partner of mine who avoided using the word rally (because of its phonological
difficulty) and instead opted to say, simply, "hit the ball."
A more direct type of avoidance is topic avoidance, in which a whole topic of
conversation (say, talking about what happened yesterday if the past tense is
unfamiliar) might be avoided entirely, learners manage to devise ingenious
methods of topic avoidance: changing the subject, pretending not to understand
(a classical means for avoiding answering a question), simply not responding at
all, or notice ably abandoning a message when a thought becomes too difficult to
express.
Types of Avoidance:
• Message abandonment: Leaving a message unfinished because of language
difficulties
• Topic avoidance: Avoiding topic areas or concepts that pose language
difficulties
2. Compensatory Strategies:
List of Compensatory strategies:

Another common set of communication devices involves compensation for
missing knowledge. We will elaborate here on just three of the eleven strategy
types. Typical of rock-bottom beginning-level learners, for example, is the
memorization of certain stock phrases or sentences without internalized
knowledge of their components. These memorized chunks of language, known as
prefabricated patterns, are often found in pocket bilingual phrase books, which
list hundreds of sentences for various occasions: "How much does this cost?"
"Where is the toilet?" "I don't speak KngJish." "1 don't understand you." Such
phrases are memorized by rote to fit their appropriate context. Prefabricated
patterns are sometimes the source of some merriment. In my first few days of
Kikongo learning in Africa, I tried to say, in Kikongo, "I don't know Kikongo" to
those who attempted to converse with me, I was later embarrassed to discover
that, in the first few attempts at producing this prefabricated avoidance device,
instead of saying Kizeyi Kikongo ko, I had said Kizoiele Kikongo ko (I don't like
Kikongo), which brought on reactions ranging from amusement to hostility.
Code-switching is the use of a first or third language within a stream of speech in
the second language. Often code-switching subconsciously occurs between two
advanced learners with a common first language, but in such a case, usually not as
a compensatory strategy. Learners in the early stages of acquisition, however,
might code-switch—use their native language to fill in missing knowledge—
whether the hearer knows that native language or not. Sometimes the learner
slips in just a word or two, in the hope that the hearer will get the gist of what is
being communicated. It is surprising that context of communication coupled with
some of the universals of nonverbal expression sometimes enables learners to
communicate an idea in their own language to someone unfamiliar with that
language.
Such marvels of communication are a tribute to the universality of human
experience and a balm for those who feel the utter despair of attempting to
communicate in a foreign tongue. Yet another common compensatory strategy is
a direct appeal for help, often termed appeal to authority. Learners may, if stuck
for a particular word or phrase, directly ask a proficient speaker or the teacher for
the form ("How do you say ________ ?"). Or they might venture a possible guess
and then ask for verification from the proficient speaker of the correctness of the
attempt. Also within this category are those instances where the learner might
appeal to a bilingual dictionary for help. The latter case can also produce some
rather amusing situations. Once a student of English as a second language, when
asked to introduce himself to the class and the teacher, said, "Allow me to
introduce myself and tell you some of the ..." At this point he quickly got out his
pocket dictionary and, finding the word he wanted, continued, "some of the
headlights of my past."
Types of Compensatory strategies
• Circumlocution: Describing or exemplifying the target object of action (e.g.,
the thing you open bottles with for corkscrew)
• Approximation: Using an alternative term which expresses the meaning of
the target lexical item as closely as possible (e.g., ship for sailboat)
• Use of all-purpose words: Extending a general, empty lexical item to
contexts where specific words are lacking (e.g., (he overuse of thing, stuff,
what-do-you-call-it, thingie)
• Word coinage: Creating a nonexisting L2 word based on a supposed rule
(e.g., vegetable man instead of vegetarian)
• Prefabricated patterns: Using memorized stock phrases, usually for
"survival" purposes (e.g., Where is the __________ or Comment allez -vous,?
where the morphological components are not known to the learner)
• Nonlinguistic signals: Mime, gesture, facial expression, or sound imitation
• Literal translation: Translating literally a lexical item, idiom, compound
word, or structure from LI to L2
• Foreignizing: Using a LI word by adjusting it to L2 phonology (i.e., with a L2
pronunciation) and/or morphology (e.g., adding to it a L2 suffix)
• Code-switching: Using a LI word with LI pronunciation or a L3 word with L3
pronunciation while speaking in L2
• Appeal for help: Asking for aid from the interlocutor either directly (e.g.,
What do you call . . ,?) or indirectly (e.g., rising intonation, pause, eye
contact, puzzled expression!
• Stalling or time-gaining strategies: Using fillers or hesitation devices to fill
pauses and to gain time to think (e.g., well, now let's see, uh, as a matter of
fact)

Communication Strategies

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Communication Strategies

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Second Language Learners’ Communication Strategies

Communication strategies refer to the use of verbal or nonverbal mechanisms to

List of Compensatory strategies:

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