Communication Strategies Used by ASEAN Undergraduate Students in the ELF Setting
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Abstract
With its deviations from standard English norms, speakers of English as a lingua franca (ELF) employ skillful use of communication strategies (CSs) to negotiate meaning and compensate for any deficiencies in their English repertoire during interactions. This mixed methods study aims to identify CSs used by ASEAN students at an international tertiary level institution in Thailand, in addition to exploring communication challenges they face in the ELF setting. Data was collected from an informal group talk, a self-report survey, and a focus group interview with seven undergraduate students from five different ASEAN countries. The findings show that the participants applied all five main types of CSs of which stalling, self-monitoring, and interactional strategies were reported to be used most frequently. Accommodation was found to be an emergent strategy in this context. Comprehension was the major difficulty faced by participants, particularly during those instances of ELF discourse where their interlocutors did not sufficiently collaborate in the negotiation of meaning. These findings suggest that CSs, especially stalling, self-monitoring, and interactional strategies, should be emphasized while teaching English for communication to aspiring ELF speakers. Students should also be made aware of and provided with exposure to varieties of English they are likely to encounter in ELF settings as a part of their listening and speaking practice.
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