The Use Of Communication Strategies In Classroom Communication Between Lecturers And Students In A Selected Ghanaian University

Abstract

In situations where the language of instruction is not the first language of speakers, they may encounter difficulties in expressing their communication intentions as a result of gaps in their linguistic repertoire. This situation requires them to adopt some communication strategies to help them express their intentions and enhance the effectiveness of their communication. To find out how university students deal with communication breakdowns in the classroom, this study employed the convergent mixed method approach to collect data from 128 students and 2 lecturers in the Department of Arts Education at the University of Cape Coast. Guided by Dornyei and Scott‟s (1995) taxonomy of CS, questionnaires, observation guide and interview schedules were constructed and used to collect data from students and lecturers on their use of communication strategies and the implications that have on teaching and learning and the acquisition of the second language. It was found out that the students prefer to use non-linguistic means (indirect strategies) to convey their meaning while the lecturers prefer to used strategies that engage the students in the conversation (interactional strategies). Fillers, self-rephrasing, and self-repetition were found to be the most frequently used strategies by the students and the lecturers. It was concluded that interactional strategies are often used by the lecturers as a teaching methodology, even though excessive usage of CS sometimes disrupts instructional hours and impedes proper acquisition of the English language. The study recommends that lecturers adapt the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach in language classrooms.