Communication strategies in interactions involving language learners

Because of globalisation and government policy, English language learning and teaching has become an increasingly central part of education in Japan. Policy settings have asserted the primacy of effective communication,and emphasised the use of English as a lingua franca. However, this is not well reflected in English language teaching practices, nor in student outcomes. In order to support improved learning and teaching, there is therefore a need to better understand the communicative behaviours that facilitate communicative success in interactions between native and non-native speakers of English. This study explores communication strategies in interactions involving Japanese speaking learners of English and a native English speaker. It employs the principles and practices of conversation analysis to analyse 15 interactions involving 8 Japanese learners of English and one native English speaker. Participants were asked to complete a communication task where the native speaker needed to gather information from the non-native speaker. It focuses on the use of next-turn repetition by the Japanese-speaking learners to accomplish confirmation and other-initiation of repair. With these practices, they facilitate completion of the communication task, but also generate opportunities for language learning. The findings of this study add to our understanding of communication strategies in interactions involving native and non-native speakers of English, and demonstrate the possible value of a communicative and interactional approach to language learning and teaching in Japan.