Conversational implicature comprehension strategies used by English learners in Indonesia

Abstract

Comprehension of conversational implicature is relatively easy for native speakers. However, the same degree of ease does not apply to second language learners. This study aims to uncover the strategies of second language learners despite the difficulties they face. Eighteen respondents are invited to join think-aloud protocols (TAP sessions). During the TAP sessions, respondents are instructed to answer thirty written questions assessing conversational implicature and, at the same time, asked to narrate their thoughts out loud during the session. The responses during these sessions are recorded and transcribed. The data is then codified and analyzed using receptive strategy categorization developed by Vandergrift (1997). The results of the analysis lead to clues on how second language learners, in general, strategize to understand conversational implicature. This study also reveals the difference between strategies used by learners with high implicature scores and those used by learners with low implicature scores.