Communication Strategies: A Mechanism for Language Learning

Abstract

Both native and non-native speakers resort to communication strategies (CSs) when they face difficulties expressing their intended messages and achieving their communicative goals. The use of communication strategies is of a crucial importance for language learners. Not only do they play an essential role in communication, but they also contribute to language learning. Many studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of communication strategies since the early 1970s, and different taxonomies have been proposed by different researchers. The main aim of this paper is to present the importance of communication strategies in the field of language teaching. It starts with a brief review of the history of communication strategies. Then it discusses the approaches from which the communication strategies have been investigated. It also deals with the various taxonomies of communication strategies and different elicitation methods used in literature. Finally, it discusses the arguments concerning the teaching of communication strategies.

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