An Empirical Study Of Chinese EFL Learners' Oral Communication Strategies

This study investigated communication strategies (CSs) of Chinese EFL learners. CSs were used to enhance the effectiveness of communication. The participants consisted of group A (30 high level EFL learners) and group B (30 low level EFL learners). Every two participants within group A and group B were engaged in a topic discussion that was required to last between 5-15 minutes. The discussion in English was videoed and observed and finally transcribed. With the aid of statistic tool of Microsoft Excel, the statistic data and data from stimulated recall were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively.On the basis of the data in this study, CSs were classified into four categories: avoidance CSs, modified CSs, cooperative CSs and social CSs. The results showed that both high level and low level Chinese EFL learners employed almost the same types of CSs except some small differences. Yet, due to different English comprehension and production abilities, these two groups had great differences of frequencies in using CSs. As shown in the results, the high level group more frequently used modified CSs and social CSs, such as IL-based CSs and time-stalling; the low level group used more cooperative CSs and L1-based CSs than the high level group. The transcription data and data gathered from stimulated recall revealed that both high level and low level Chinese EFL learners had commonalities and differences in EFL communication. With respect to commonalities, these two groups abundantly used discourse markers to gain more time to think and clear their minds, to show agreement, to assign attention, and to signal coherence within and between discourse turns; they paid much attention to grammar and reflected whether they correctly used the specific items right after they spoke out; they also retrieved lexicons from interlanguage systems. In terms of the differences in EFL communication, the high level EFL learners were more aware of grammar and self-conscious of correcting their mistakes and they also tended to make use of formulaic expressions, whereas the low level learners might be subjected to the transfer of their native language (Chinese) and they would frequently code switch between English and Chinese.Based on the above findings, some tentative pedagogical implications for EFL learning and teaching are drawn. First of all, it is essential to cultivate EFL learners? strategic awareness and strategic competence. Additionally, priority should be given to enhance EFL learners? communicative competence by integrating EFL learning with EFL communication. Last but not the least, we should integrate well-designed syllabus and EFL testing with communicative needs and communicative competence.