A Study Of Strategies In The Production Of Speech Acts By Chinese EFL Speakers

This thesis reports a study on the Chinese EFL learners?overall use of speaking strategies using a questionnaire via a quantitative-oriented study and on the reported strategy use in the production of speech acts through role play via a qualitative-oriented study. The former is a questionnaire investigation, which examines the frequency of speaking strategy use and the correlation between each speaking strategy and the three groups of 45 English majors at Wuxi University of Light Industry. The later focuses on the process of speaking by asking ten subjects to produce speech acts through role play. It means to investigate what speaking strategies are employed by what kind of students and what factors lead to the subjects?reported strategy use. The major findings from both the quantitative and qualitative data are as follows:(1)The subjects use preparatory strategies (PS) between 搒ometimes?and 搖sually? achievement strategies (AS), LI -based strategies (FS) and self-evaluation (SE) strategies round 搒ometimes?while reduction strategies (RS) round 搖sually? Lower-level subjects use more FS and RS than higher-level ones. Significant difference exists in the frequency of PS, RS and FS use, but not in the frequency of AS and SE use across the three levels.(2)In the actual use of speaking strategies, when subjects are asked to produce speech acts through role play, higher-level ones are able to put across their intended meaning and thus attain their original communicative goal by using AS, mainly L2-based strategies. But the ability to use AS of both groups is far from satisfactory. Though lower-level subjects use almost the same number of AS as the higher-level ones, their actual use of these strategies is not so sophisticated as the higherlevel ones. Moreover, lower-level subjects employ more RS and FS than higher-level ones. No obvious qualitative difference exists in the actual use of PS and SE.(3)The nature of the speaking task, the subjects?conscious learning and the subjects?揳ffective schemata?affect the use of PS and SE. The subjects?FL-proficiency level, their attitudes toward the target language and the LI cultures and the classroom environment are the main factors that influence RS use. The subjects?attitudes toward the learning of target language and the use of FS, the subjects?LI and their FL-proficiency level are the chief factors that influence the PS use. The classroom language learning situation and the subjects?limited linguistic resources affect the use ofAS.Due to the limitations of this study and the complex nature of language teaching and speech acts, further research on how systematic instruction of strategies should be slotted into English courses is invited.