Investigating the use of speaking strategies in the performance of two communicative tasks: The importance of communicative goal

Abstract

Although the ability to speak is usually seen as a key manifestation of learners' ability in the target language they are attempting to master, research has not given ample attention to strategies that can be employed to enhance this skill. In fact, the bulk of such empirical investigations has mainly focused on communication strategies that are reactive devices, predominantly used to overcome difficulties in successful conveyance of meanings and messages, and even this line of inquiry has been neglected in recent years. The study reported in this paper aims to partially bridge this gap by examining the speaking strategies that advanced learners of English used in the performance of two communicative tasks, differing in the extent to which the participants were required to make a contribution to their successful completion. The data collected by means of open-ended questionnaires that were administered immediately after the completion of the two tasks yielded crucial insights into the nature of the speaking strategies and the ways in which the communicative goals inherent in task type influenced the choice of speaking strategies.

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“…With its complex nature hindering proficiency, spoken English is arduous; language learners must spend significant time and effort on mastery (Dincer, 2017;Kawai, 2008). Spoken English is also a skill in high demand, as knowing a language is frequently equated with speaking a language at a communication level (Pawlak, 2018). Most learners in today's globalized world study English to obtain speaking proficiency; it is considered the most demanding among the four main language skills: reading, listening, writing and speaking (Dincer, 2017;Zhang & Head, 2009).…”

“…Most learners in today's globalized world study English to obtain speaking proficiency; it is considered the most demanding among the four main language skills: reading, listening, writing and speaking (Dincer, 2017;Zhang & Head, 2009). Although speaking is the most challenging skill, most English language learners have limited opportunities to practice the language outside the classroom, despite today's technological advances (Dincer & Yesilyurt, 2013;Kawai, 2008;Pawlak, 2014Pawlak, , 2018Ruixue, Zejun, & Yijing, 2012). Teaching the spoken language has long been a challenge for EFL teachers because some national exams neglect communicative competence (Ruixue et al, 2012).…”

“…As limited numbers of students can conduct a conversation in English at the desired level, a proficient speaker may be perceived as a privileged person in society (Dincer, 2017). Additionally, success in oral communication has always been the ultimate goal for language learners (Dincer, 2017;Pawlak, 2018).…”

“…Among those shared features, linguistic mastery of English and oral communication skills is listed. However, specific details regarding the characteristics of advanced speakers of English have gained little attention (Pawlak, 2018). In this limited research, Takeuchi (2003) ascertained the strategies of successful language learners in terms of language sub-skills by investigating the experiences of Japanese EFL learners.…”

“…It is commonly accepted that many EFL instruction programs strive to provide appropriate conditions for learners to gain high proficiency in English. However, despite the importance of fluent spoken language, scant research attention has been given to strategies that can be employed to enhance speaking (Pawlak, 2018). With its specific focus on the experiences of proficient speakers in achieving success, this study used a qualitative approach to understand the nature of those proficient speakers and aimed to provide rich data on the influential factors about speaking enhancement.…”