ON THE TEACHABILITY OF COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES TO JORDANIAN EFL BEGINNERS: EXPLORATION AND REFLECTION

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Published: Jul 5, 2017

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Ruba Fahmi Bataineh
Yarmouk University
Wedad Khalid Al-Bzour
Abdallah Ahmad Baniabdelrahman

Abstract

This study examines the effect of communication strategy instruction on Jordanian EFL students’ oral performance and strategy use.  Following a thorough content analysis of units 10- 13 of the prescribed Action Pack textbook, the instructional material was designed and implemented over a duration of eight weeks.  A three-task oral pre-/ post-test, a communication strategies-based observation checklist, and a 10-item scoring rubric were used to collect data from a purposeful sample of 24 sixth-grade students. The (predominantly interactional) communication strategies of approximation, circumlocution, repetition, appeal for help, self-repair, appeal for confirmation, appeal for clarification, and guessing were targeted.  The data analysis, both quantitative and qualitative, suggests that the utilization of communication strategies in language instruction both improves oral performance and increases strategy use.

Keywords: communication strategies, EFL, oral performance, strategy instruction

Article Details

Issue
Vol. 4 No. 3 (2017)
Section
Articles

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Author Biography

Ruba Fahmi Bataineh, Yarmouk University

Dr. Ruba Bataineh is a professor of TESOL at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Yarmouk University (Irbid, Jordan).  Her research interests include sociolinguistics, pragmatics, literacy, CALL, and teacher education.  Prof. Bataineh has published extensively in renowned international and regional journals, such as the Journal of Pragmatics, International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism; International Journal of Educational Developments Using Information and Communication Technology, Intercultural Communication, Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, Mediterranean Journal of Educational Studies, Jordan Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies, and Journal of Educational and Psychological Sciences. She is also a member of the editorial and/or review boards for a number of regional and international journals.

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