Communication strategies in second-language acquisition
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In the course of learning a second language, learners will frequently encounter communication problems caused by a lack of linguistic resources. Communication strategies are strategies that learners use to overcome these problems in order to convey their intended meaning to their interlocutors.[1] Strategies used may include paraphrasing, substitution, circumlocution, coining new words, switching to the first language, and asking for clarification.[2][3]
Strategies
No comprehensive list of strategies has been agreed on by second language acquisition researchers,[3] but some commonly-used strategies have been observed:
- Paraphrasing
- This can be using a more familiar word in the place of a word that learners do not know, for example using "horse" instead of "stallion".[3]
- Substitution
- Learners may avoid a problematic word by using a different one, for example substituting the irregular verb "make" with the regular verb "ask". The regularity of "ask" makes it easier to use correctly.[2]
- Circumlocution
- Coining new words
- Switching to the first language
- Asking for clarification
References
- ^ Johnson, Keith; Johnson, Helen, eds. (1999). "Communication strategy". Encyclopedic Dictionary of Applied Linguistics: A Handbook for Language Teaching. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. p. 174. ISBN 978-0631227670.
- ^ a b Ellis, Rod (1997). Second Language Acquisition. Oxford Introductions to Language Study. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 60–61. ISBN 978-0194372121.
- ^ a b c VanPatten, Bill; Benati, Alessandro G. (2010). Key Terms in Second Language Acquisition. London: Continuum. p. 73. ISBN 978–0–8264–9914–1.
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