Communication strategies employed by low-proficiency users: Possibilities for ELF-informed pedagogy

Abstract

Abstract ELF research has demonstrated that English users employ various communication strategies (CSs) to achieve mutual understanding and deal with uncertainty in ELF conversations. Thus, implementing various CSs is said to be important for learners in ELF interactions. Although a list of CSs might indicate which strategies English learners may ultimately need, it is not necessarily helpful for low-proficiency English learners as they may not be able to use many CSs due to a lack of English language resources. This study attempts to identify CSs that 20 Japanese low-proficiency English users employ in talk-in-interaction with English language instructors. CSs investigated in this study were not restricted to those examined from second language acquisition perspectives but included pragmatic and collaborative strategies identified in various ELF studies. Investigating CSs from the perspective of ELF helps to form a more sensitive analysis of how low-proficiency English users work to achieve successful L2 communication with interlocutors. Results revealed that the students, who were not given prior instruction in strategies, collaboratively employed various CSs to cope with communication breakdown, promote message conveyance, and co-construct a meaningful interaction with their interlocutors. These findings provide insights into how low-proficiency users might manage to achieve successful communication in various ELF settings. Analysis of the data helps to inform teachers which CSs low-proficiency learners may utilize more easily and those for which they may require more intensive practice.