Some pertinent oral communication strategies for efl learning and teaching

AGU International Journal of Sciences – 2019, Vol. 7 (1), 60 – 67 
60 
SOME PERTINENT ORAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES FOR EFL LEARNING 
AND TEACHING 
Truong Thi Thanh Nga1 
1An Giang University, VNU - HCM 
Information: 
Received: 16/01/2019 
Accepted: 02/05/2019 
Published: 11/2019 
Keywords: 
Communication strategies 
(CSs), avoidance, 
compensation, time gaining, 
interlocutors 
ABSTRACT 
To communicate successfully in study and everyday conversations is very 
important. Speakers or participants all want to be successful in exchanging 
ideas and getting an end result after the dialogue finishes. There are several 
popular ways to maintain progress or end a conversation. In this paper, 
some relevant strategies are addressed so that thestudents or users of 
English as a foreign language (EFL) know what they have done intentionally 
or unintentionally through time. The main purpose of this article is to 
suggest to educators three strategies used in the field of EFL teaching and 
learning such as avoidance, compensation and time gaining. Then, there is a 
recommendation to teach or not teach these strategies, or what strategies 
should be focused upon and what strategies should be introduced for 
discussion only. 
1. INTRODUCTION 
 In the context of learning English in Vietnam 
in recent times, especially students in remote 
areasstudents of English nowadays usually start 
learning it at a very early age, but it takes them 
a long time to use the language successfully. In 
addition, they find it very hard to express 
themselves in actual communication. Therefore, 
some relevant communication strategies (CSs) 
should be considered to help learners 
communicate their ideas effectively. As Maleki 
(2007) mentions, though learners of English are 
equipped with enough language knowledge, 
they need to reach a threshold to come to a real 
communicative stage when they can speak out 
naturally; thus communication strategy support 
for learners is necessary. 
Communication success is required in both 
verbal and written activities in English in 
Vietnam, but emphasis is mostly on speaking. 
Language students are considered to reach the 
communicative threshold of proficiency when 
they can keep the conversation going and 
maintain their position in communicating 
contexts. When people study a new language all 
they need to acquire is that they can express 
what they want to say and can be understood by 
others and get back the information from 
someone’s speeches or writing. To obtain 
communicative skills in foreign languages, 
there are some gifted people who can make use 
of their restricted language resources in 
combining with their own skills like body 
language, gestures, and facial expressions to 
achieve their communicative purposes. 
AGU International Journal of Sciences – 2019, Vol. 7 (1), 60 – 67 
61 
However, there are also strategies that most 
EFL learners can apply through their life 
experience or by practising and following some 
communicative tactics. This paper first reviews 
definitions of communication strategies, then 
presents three key communication strategies 
and finally suggests that communications 
strategies should be taught. Three pertinent 
strategies are avoidance, compensation and 
time gaining. These strategies accompany some 
tactics which occur at the time of speaking such 
as topic divergence, circumlocution and using 
fillers and hesitation devices. The paper first 
reviews definitions of Communication 
Strategies and then leads to a discussion about 
whether communication strategies can be taught 
or not and their role in EFL teaching. 
2. DEFINITION 
Definitions about communication strategies 
(CSs) have concerned many linguists. In fact, 
most linguists in the 1970s and 1980s have 
concentrated on problem – solving when 
talking about CSs. For example, Tarone, Cohen 
and Dumas (1976, p. 5) see “CSs as learners’ 
systematic attempt to express or decode 
meaning in the target language”. In a different 
perspective, Canale and Swain (1980) see CSs 
as verbal and nonverbal strategies which 
compensate for breakdowns in communication 
due to performance variables or insufficient 
competence in conversations. Tarone (1977) 
explains that conscious communication 
strategies are used by an individual to overcome 
the crisis which occurs when language 
structures are insufficient to convey the 
individual’s thought. 
 According to Tarone’s new concept, CSs have 
been seen as “relate to a mutual attempt of two 
interlocutors to agree on the meaning in 
situations where requisite meaning structures do 
not seem to be shared” (1980, p. 420). It is an 
interaction perspective rather than meaning-
negotiation and repair mechanisms that involve 
handling difficulties or breakdowns in 
communications. Corder (1986) also views CSs 
as speakers’ systematic techniques to express 
meaning when facing difficulty. However, the 
broadest definition of CSs is Canale’s (1983) 
extended concept when he points out that CSs 
help improve communicative efficiency with 
various patterns of speech. Therefore, 
definitions about CSs have been improved 
through time from problem-solving to meaning 
negotiation between interlocutors and finally 
come to enhancing the effectiveness of 
communication. Among these linguists’ 
definitions, Corder’s idea about CSs as 
strategies at the time of the conversation to 
retain the interaction between the speakers, and 
then to make the conversation end smoothly, is 
the basic support of the article. 
3. STRATEGIES 
3.1 Avoidance strategy 
Avoidance strategy is mostly used either 
consciously or unintentionally by non-native 
speakers when they encounter linguistic 
problems although its accompanied tactics 
might not be taught or language learners 
encouraged to use them. Indeed, people never 
want to hinder, to hide or avoid direct and 
active communication, but in some cases they 
have to because of “a mismatch between 
communicative intention and linguistic 
resources” (Varadi, 1992, p. 437), and they 
want to survive and maintain the conversations. 
According to Dornyei (1995, p. 66) “Language 
learners should say what they can and not what 
they want to”. However, he also complicatedly 
adds one more variation on the slogan 
“Language learners should be encouraged to 
say what they can, rather than retreat silently 
from what they can’t”. Therefore, topic 
avoidance and replacement skills are 
indispensable because they could improve 
learners’ fluency. Many linguists believe that 
avoidance strategy can be seen in some of its 
AGU International Journal of Sciences – 2019, Vol. 7 (1), 60 – 67 
62 
subcategories or tactics such as topic avoidance, 
message abandonment, or meaning replacement 
(Brown, 2000; Corder, 1983; Dornyei & Scott, 
1997; Færch & Kasper, 1983; Tarone, 1997; 
Willems, 1987). For example, with message 
abandonment, according to Dornyei (1997, 
p.188) speakers ‘leaving a message unfinished 
because of some language difficulty’ like in the 
following monologue ‘It is a person er  who 
is responsible for a house, for the block of 
houses  I don’t know  [laughter].’ 
Moreover, sometimes learners have to reduce 
the message intention or avoid the intended 
topic because of their lack of linguistic 
resources about the topic. Brown (2000) also 
contributes to this field with his example which 
describes the attempts of learners when they are 
in a shortage of grammatical or lexical 
knowledge within a semantic category as in the 
following conversation excerpt: 
L: I lost my road. 
NS: You lost your road? 
L: Uh  I lost. I lost. I got lost. (p. 128) 
Therefore, avoidance strategy is also considered 
a skill in communication that sometimes helps 
EFL learners to survive and maintain their 
position in conversations, and they do not give 
up just as Corder (1983, p. 19) concludes 
“These strategies must not be regarded as 
admission of failure,” but just maybe a way to 
ta take advantage for time gain in 
communication. 
3.2 Compensatory strategy 
Compensation strategy is one of the popular 
ways that language users even the native 
speakers use in most situations to meet 
conversational aims. In fact, both speakers and 
their interlocutors usually use this 
communicative skill to get into understanding 
each other or negotiation in meaning. For 
example, Kellerman, Ammerlaan, Bongaerts 
and Poulisse (1990) see circumlocution just as 
paraphrasing, explanation or description is 
necessary. These linguists further give many 
instances to demonstrate what they state, as for 
some words EFL learners require but they do 
not know them exactly, they can express 
themselves in another way by describing or 
explaining in groups of words such as ‘figure 
with three sides’ or ‘three angles’ for triangle, 
or ‘ball with air in it’ or ‘ball in the air’ for 
balloon. The critics also emphasise the 
description of the function of things that 
learners do not know the precise words forsuch 
as the words moon and knife with the former 
can be described in terms of location involved 
like ‘ it’s in the sky’ and the functional use for 
the later ‘you use it for cutting.’ 
 Dornyei (1995), Dornyei and Scott (1997) 
consider circumlocution as exemplifying, 
illustrating or describing the properties of the 
target object or action. For instance, Dornyei 
and Scott (1997, p. 188) provide an example in 
which a learner says “the thing you open wine 
bottles with” to refer to a corkscrew. 
Abdesslem (2004, p.3) contributes to the field 
with the explanation for the words ‘liquid 
paper’ by the phrase “white stuff for correcting 
words.” (p. 3) In short, paraphrasing is used in 
most situations by language learners for the 
purpose of being mutually understood between 
interlocutors in communication, and for the 
purpose of verbal conversational achievement. 
3.3 Time gaining strategy 
To maintain and avoid communication 
breakdown, time gaining devices are also 
preferred tactics of many EFL learners. In fact, 
some language academics believe that pause 
fillers do not belong to communication 
strategies. For example, Tarone (1980) 
considers stalling under production or Færch 
and Kasper (1983) looked at time gaining as 
‘temporal variables’. Whereas, many other 
researchers have appreciated the use of fillers 
and hesitation devices that consciously help 
AGU International Journal of Sciences – 2019, Vol. 7 (1), 60 – 67 
63 
learners participating in conversations become 
more fluent, or at least help prevent 
breakdowns and keep the communication 
channel open in the face of difficulties (Canale, 
1983; Canale & Swain, 1980; Dornyei and 
Scott, 1997; Ellis, 1985; Haastrup & Phillipson, 
1983). Dornyei and Scott (1997) provide a list 
of common words and phrases for filled pauses 
and hesitations so that learners can consciously 
use to gain time to keep conversations going on 
in difficulties. These fillers include “well, 
actually, as a matter of fact, the thing is, you 
know, okay, this is rather difficult to explain, 
it’s a good question, or let me think, etc.,” (p. 
190). Therefore, pause fillers are also used by 
speakers as a tactic to gain time to think of the 
missing words or what to say next. This time 
gaining strategy by using pause fillers will help 
learners retrieve their language resource 
available in their head but do not appear 
spontaneously. 
4. TEACHING COMMUNICATION 
STRATEGIES 
The issue of whether communication strategies 
can be taught must be taken into account to see 
the role that they have in the second language 
classroom. Indeed, it is a controversial issue 
that poses a disagreement among researchers. 
Most linguists believe that these strategies have 
already developed in learners’ first language 
(L1) and now are naturally transferred to the 
second language (L2) (Bongaerts & Poulisse, 
1989; Bongaerts, Kellerman, & Bentlage, 1987; 
Kellerman, Ammerlaan, Bongaerts, & Poulisse, 
1990; Paribakht, 1985). Bialystok and 
Kellerman (1987) point out that adult language 
learners’ cognitive competence is already 
developed including ‘repertoire of applicable 
CSs at any of their levels of proficiency in L2. 
Kellerman (1991) also opposes teaching 
compensatory strategies in the classroom. 
According to him, EFL students need only be 
given just as much language as necessary, and 
the strategies themselves emerge automatically 
through the process of practising the language. 
Canale and Swain (1980) are also the 
proponents on this side; they think that CSs 
would be acquired through real-life 
communications but not through the constraints 
of language classroom practice. 
However, many other researchers support the 
need to teach communication strategies for the 
EFL learners so that they can apply these 
strategies in real life communication (Brooks, 
1992; Chen, 1990; Færch & Kasper, 1983, 
1986; Haastrup & Phillipson, 1983; Paribakht, 
1986; Rost, 1994; Rost & Ross, 1991; 
Savignon, 1972, 1983, 1990; Tarone, 1984; 
Tarone and Yule, 1989; Willems, 1987). 
Therefore, communication strategies that are 
provided widely and facilitated by the teachers 
in language classrooms would give students 
more opportunities to succeed in 
communication. Tarone (1984) and Willems 
(1987) cited in Dornyei (1995, p. 62) state 
‘There is also some evidence that students in 
classroom settings which offer more natural 
input (such as immersion classes) tend to 
develop a higher level of strategic competence 
than students in ordinary classrooms, who tend 
to use only a limited number of mostly 
unsophisticated CSs.” Therefore, though in any 
context of learning and teaching EFL, learners 
should be equipped with enough language, 
especially useful languages from the stage 
learners need specific guided and control to free 
conversations. 
4.1 The role of communication in efl 
language classroom 
It cannot be denied that most language teachers 
now want to directly address communication 
strategies in classrooms although this trend is 
still debated. This proves that many people 
perceive that communicative competence is 
indispensable in language teaching. If teachers 
AGU International Journal of Sciences – 2019, Vol. 7 (1), 60 – 67 
64 
in classroom follow six procedures provided in 
Dornyei, including: 
Raising learner awareness about 
the nature and communicative 
potential of CSs, encouraging 
students to be willing to take 
risks and use CSs, providing L2 
models of the use of certain 
CSs, highlighting cross-cultural 
differences in CSs use, teaching 
CSs directly and providing 
opportunities for practice in 
strategy use. 
 (1995, pp. 63-64) 
 then the communication strategies seem to be 
advanced and promoted to enhance learners’ 
competence in communication. Furthermore, 
teachers can provide as many strategies as 
possible during their teaching time or 
interweave these strategies with their teaching 
methods so that the students have a chance to 
get used to communicative approaches. For 
instance, according to Dornyei (1995, pp. 63-
64) by “Raising learner awareness about the 
nature and communicative potential of CSs”, 
teachers help students feel more confidentwith 
their available strategic repertoire, and they 
would be willing to be risk-takers in most cases 
when facing difficulties that may lead to 
communicative breakdowns. 
4.2 Communication strategy application 
Being equipped with communication strategies, 
students can apply them flexibly in appropriate 
situations as Oxford (1990, p. 207) concludes: 
Research shows that strategy training 
which fully informs the learners (by 
indicating why the strategy is useful, 
how it can be transferred to different 
tasks, and how learners can evaluate 
the success of this strategy) is more 
successful than training that does not. 
She means that learning strategy training should 
be direct and informed so that students can 
apply them in conversations in class as well as 
in real-life communication. For example, 
Tarone and Yule (1989, cited in Dornyei, 1995, 
p.64) suggest giving cues or lists of words or 
phrases that learners can use for specific 
strategies such as, circumlocution with “certain 
basic core vocabulary and sentence structures to 
describe properties (e.g., shape, size, colour, 
textile) and function: top side, bowl-shaped, 
triangular, on the rim, circular, square.” 
Dornyei and Scott (1997) also provide a list of 
phrases to mark for explanation or clarification 
such as it is a kind/sort of, the thing you use for 
, it’s what/ when you , it’s something you 
do/ say when, or ways used in cooperation 
with interlocutors to appeal for help (what do 
you call it/ someone who , What is the word 
for). If teachers insist on their communicative 
techniques and let the students have 
opportunities to practise, use and reinforce all 
communicative knowledge they provided to 
them so that the students can reach the 
automatic stage, then both the teachers and 
students may gain the goal of communication. 
A case study is in English for specific purposes 
(ESP), such as English for Tourism or Business 
English; for instance, Nina and Fiona (2010) 
provide useful language from one part of the 
lesson and then many situation exercises such 
as role play or conversation buildings to 
practise in class so that students can learn and 
use the languages in context then apply later on 
in their real working life, and teachers also feel 
satisfied with their role in class in helping 
learners acquire language skills. Many other 
educators such as David, Jane & Shausn 
(2008); Cotton, Falvey & Simon (2010) also 
have the same ideas and approach as Nina and 
Fiona that language teachers should provide 
time for students practising communicative 
strategies found from each lesson during the 
whole course. Learners can apply what they 
AGU International Journal of Sciences – 2019, Vol. 7 (1), 60 – 67 
65 
learn following guideline formats, and then 
spontaneously produce the language when they 
get to their language threshold. Therefore, 
communication strategies should be taught. 
5. CONCLUSION 
Success in communication is the aspiration of 
teachers, most learners and users of a new 
language. Except those who are very advanced 
like ‘near native’ speakers, EFL learners 
usually have to struggle by, using all their effort 
and time for their L2 deficiency to survive and 
maintain conversations. In fact, people use 
various strategies depending on their 
preference, capacity and situational contexts. In 
some unexpected cases, they have to apply 
avoidance strategy at the expense of changing 
their initial intended meanings or even abandon 
the topic to keep the communication channel 
open. In other circumstances, learners make use 
of their available language resources to get into 
the point by going around the topic with 
paraphrasing, description, or explanation. 
Furthermore, during conversation, if some key 
words have been missed or forgotten, pause 
fillers would be a good technique to get back 
the information needed. The first strategy of 
topic avoidance may not be encouraged to 
include in language classroom curricula but just 
as an optional or a sub category because 
learners may take advantage of using this 
strategy to diverge to another topic to prolong 
the communication time, and this may delay 
their progress process/ procedure because it 
promotes learners to change the intended topics 
to get communicative success at the expense of 
content pu