A Study Of Communication Strategies And Their Use By Chinese EFL Learners

The study of communication strategies (CSs) has not been paid enough attentionto among Chinese linguistic researchers to date, although as a new area of researchwithin aPplied linguistics, and within SLA in paYticular, it has taken uP quite animportant place and there have been quite many publications on the subject. Forsecond/fOreign language learners, CSs are an importaflt means to deal withdifficulties and even breakdowns occurring in communication due to their inadequate1anguage resources. TO quote Bialystok (l990:35), "communication strategiesovercome obstacles to communication by providing the speaker with an alternativefOrm of expression for the ifltended meaning". The purPose of the thesis is to offer athorough introduction to CSs research and to make Chinese EFL leamers aware of theimportance of CSs. The thesis also discusses a study of Chinese learners' use of CSsby the present writer.The thesis is composed of three chaPters f the first two constitute a survey oftheories, while the last one involves a practical study.ChaPter one reviews development of CSs theories. A historical olltline of CSsresearch is provided, Where researchers cofltribL[ting to the development of CSs andtheir works are introduced. Three best-known definitions of CSs and theircorrespondingly derived taxonomies of CSs are discussed, Which aret theinteractional aPproach by Taone, the psycholiguistic aPproach by Faerch and Kaspef,and the comPensatory strategies by Nijmegen grouP.ChaPter two considers major issues in CS theories, some being controversial,including the non-uniqueness of CSs; CSs and strategic comPetence; the teachabilityof CSs; and the relationship between CSs and SLA.ChaPter tbLree fOcuses on a piece of research into Chinese EFL learners' use ofCSs by the present writer. The effects of proficiency and nak on the learners'selection of CSs are examined. Major findings are discussed and are compared withthose of previous research. Suggestions fOr further studies as well as limitations of thestudy are also presented.