The Analysis of Communication Strategies Used by Polish L2 Learners

Abstract

When we communicate, we make use of both verbal and non-verbal means. In a classroom situation, there are a number of obstacles which students encounter and which can impede their communication. In L2 learning contexts, one of the commonest barriers is the language. Thus, the application of communication strategies (CS) is necessary with a view to compensating for various difficulties and avoiding communication failure or achieving communicative success. The objective of our paper is to analyze the occurrence and the incidence of communication strategies in the speech of Polish L2 learners. The subjects we tested are representatives of four different proficiency groups: - intermediate (junior high school 3 rd class learners), - upper-intermediate (technical secondary school students who are taking their final maturity exams), - pre-advanced (1 st year philology students) and advanced (3 rd year philology students). A survey was conducted with a view to eliciting the linguistic data which enabled us to determine the occurrence and incidence of communication strategies (CS). More specifically, we observed if and, if yes, to what extent the learners use the strategies in order to compensate for the challenging moments which they encounter when they communicate.