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.
