On the Teachability of Communication Strategies

TLDR

Real‑life second‑language communication often encounters problems, and instruction in communication strategies—verbal and nonverbal techniques for managing breakdowns—has been proposed to help, though opinions on their teachability differ widely. This article aims to define communication strategies, review the debate over their teachability, and propose three explanations for the controversy. The authors first outline the concepts and arguments, then present results from a study designed to collect empirical data on the educational potential of strategy training. The study shows that focused instruction can improve both the quality and quantity of learners’ use of certain communication strategies.

Abstract

Because a significant proportion of real-life L2 communication is problematic, L2 learners might benefit from instruction on how to cope with performance problems. Such instruction could include the specific teaching of' communication strategies, which involve various verbal and nonverbal means of dealing with difficulties and breakdowns that occur in everyday communication. Opinions on the teachability of such strategies, however, vary widely, and several researchers have questioned the validity of strategy training. This article first describes what communication strategies are and provides an overview of the teachability issue, discussing the arguments for and against strategy instruction, and suggests three possible reasons for the existing controversy. After this the results of a study aimed at obtaining empirical data on the educational potential of strategy training are presented. The findings point to the possibility of developing the quality and quantity of learners' use of at least some communication strategies through focused instruction.